


Some Things Change, Some Things Remain the Same

by AerynB



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Season 9
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-17
Updated: 2012-12-30
Packaged: 2017-11-22 19:43:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 81,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/613551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AerynB/pseuds/AerynB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens if both Vala AND Daniel are transported to the Ori galaxy at the end of "Beachhead"? How will they survive and how will they get back?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Story started in August 2008. Finished in June 2012. (6/17-6/21)  
> I had a lot of help and beta readers in the beginning. Then I abandoned the story in early 2009. Since then, I have finished it on my own.

_Trees. Crap. Pine trees by the look of them, but trees nonetheless. Guess we’re not on the_ Prometheus _. Maybe, just_ maybe _, we’re on a planet in the same system. Maybe._

Daniel crouched down to look at Vala who was lying unconscious on the ring platform, a ring platform that looked remarkably similar to the ring platform in Ver Eger. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that they were on a hill above a village, a village that looked remarkably similar to the village of Ver Eger. _Hell._

Vala would not wake up no matter how much Daniel prodded her. They'd have to get out of sight quickly if they really were in an Ori village again. Daniel noticed the zat gun that Vala had brought on board the cargo ship, so he tucked it into the back of his pants and picked Vala up, juggling her a bit in his arms.

A few feet away from the platform, he heard a noise coming from the hillside. It sounded as if someone was scrambling up the hill. Daniel hesitated a moment then decided to hide rather than try to explain the situation to whoever approached.

The man appeared soon after Daniel had hidden himself and Vala behind a few trees. The villager was of average height with shaggy brown hair and a pack slung over his shoulder. He also walked with a distinct limp. The man looked over at the ring platform and seemed surprised that it was empty. He then glanced out into the forest and, apparently seeing nothing out of the ordinary, left the way he came, limping down the path to the village.

Daniel let out a sigh of relief. _Now what to do?_ He’d need to find water and shelter before nightfall. They had two weapons, the zat and his gun, and their radios if they ever became separated. Daniel had a lighter in his pocket, a pocket knife, and two energy bars. He felt around in Vala’s pockets and found a 6-oz. water bottle and four energy bars. They’d be all right for food for a couple of days, maybe more. There wasn’t much searching he could do while carrying Vala, so he tried once more to rouse her, yet she would not awaken. They were sitting ducks here; they were going to have to leave very soon. But before that – he took out his knife and went to the tree closest to the rings. He carved out a symbol, which to anyone else would look like a semicircle. Satisfied with his message and looking once more around the forest for anyone else, he went back to Vala, picked her up and started walking in a direction away from the village.

After about ten minutes Daniel found a fallen tree trunk that offered a good hiding place for his charge. He set her down against the trunk, took off his jacket, and laid her head gently on top of it on the ground. The sun was still high in the sky, so there was little chance that he would get cold in his long-sleeved black shirt while he went searching for a stream or a spring and shelter. He also decided to leave the zat close to her in case she woke up and needed to defend herself. Then Daniel picked a direction and started walking. He told himself he would only be gone five or ten minutes, and he concentrated on walking in a straight line away from Vala so he could find his way back.

_“There must be some sort of energy linkage between them. Like a chain,” Sam explained._

_“Exactly, so we—”_

_But Mitchell interrupted her, “So we need a big ol’ set of bolt-cutters.”_

_“The cloaked cargo ship…” Teal’c figured it out before the rest of them, well before everyone except Vala. He should’ve known she’d figure it out._

_“Vala,” Daniel called to her but when he turned to look for her, he saw that she’d already left the bridge._

_“So that’s what Gerak meant,” but Daniel barely heard Mitchell; he was rushing down the hall to catch up with Vala. She had maybe a thirty- or sixty-second head start on him. It was obvious to Daniel that she was heading for the ring platform to board the cloaked cargo ship that Gerak had left to monitor the situation._

_When he made it to the ring room, Vala was entering commands into the computer and the technician was lying unconscious on the floor._

_“Vala, what are you doing?”_

_“What?” Vala looked up at Daniel with surprise. “Just stand back, Daniel. I’ll be back in a minute.” Then she pressed a final key and hopped into the center of the rings, and Daniel followed a split second behind her. “Daniel!”_

_“How did you get that weapon?” Daniel questioned her as they materialized aboard the cargo ship. “And why did you shoot the tech?”_

_“Shut up, Daniel!”_

_Vala knew that the pilot would be alerted to their presence by the rings’ activation, if not by their shouting, so she pulled Daniel to the side and stood in front of him, waiting for the Jaffa to open the door to the cargo hold. As soon as he did, she stunned him and stepped over the body toward the controls._

_“Move him into the rings and send him back to the_ Prometheus _. Hopefully we’ll make it…”_

_“Jackson, you there?” Mitchell called through the radio._

_“Yeah, Vala and I are on board the cloaked cargo ship.”_

_“You’re going to replace the last link, aren’t you?” Sam said._

_“That’s what I’m trying,” Vala replied._

_“Vala, when that singularity forms, there will be a powerful shock wave. The cargo ship won’t survive,” Sam tried to explain._

_“I’m counting on it. We’ll ring back before it hits, and you can all thank me immensely,” Vala kidded._

_Daniel came up behind her chair. “All right, I sent him to the_ Prometheus _. Are we there yet?” Suddenly they were jolted as if someone had just slammed on the brakes._

_“Yes, we’re there.”_

_Flashes of electric current sparked between the consoles and the bulkheads. They both stared out into space and were shocked to see the planet actually shrinking before their eyes. Knowing it would happen was one thing, but seeing it happen was entirely too frightening. They scrambled to the back of the ship, Daniel beating Vala to the control panel._

_“Get onto the platform!” he shouted._

_“No, together. You’re not making any sacrifices today.”_

_“Of course not, now let’s go.”_

_Daniel pushed her into the center of the rings as power surges sparked all over the ship. The last thing he remembered was looking into Vala’s smoky blue eyes as they were engulfed in a bright light._

He’d gone over those last minutes as he walked in one direction away from Vala and then trekked back. He checked on her to make sure she was still unconscious but all right, then set his watch to walk ten minutes in the opposite direction, replaying the events that had brought them here once more.

She’d brilliantly discovered a way to destroy the Ori supergate, if it really had been destroyed. He decided to remain optimistic about that, even though it meant they’d have to find some other way back to their own galaxy without the use of a supergate.

Escape wasn’t his main concern at the moment. Water and shelter were. But questions still plagued him. The most nagging of which was why he had arrived conscious when Vala hadn’t.

Having found nothing on his present course, Daniel turned completely around and started back toward Vala. When he came up close he saw that she was still sleeping soundly, so he gathered her, the zat gun and his jacket once more into his arms and headed off away from the village. He found another good hiding spot for Vala and started searching again, walking ten minutes in one direction, then backtracking and heading ten minutes in the other.

At the end of his second search, he came upon a spring near the mouth of a cave. He bent down to the pool beneath the spring and tasted the water. It was cool and clear.

_Water. Check._

Taking a closer look at the cave he noticed that it was dry, and even if he didn’t see the adventure in exploring it, they could probably sleep here and stay safe. They probably wouldn’t draw much attention either if they lit a fire here in the cave instead of out in the forest.

_Okay, shelter. Check._

Looking around for any landmarks and at least noting the faint path he’d taken to get here, he retraced his steps to Vala. Unfortunately, she was still out cold. Daniel sat next to her and rested. Taking out an energy bar he munched absently and thought about what their next course of action should be.

Having finished dinner he bent to pick up his charge and trudged through the forest to their makeshift shelter. She hadn’t stirred at all since they’d arrived on this planet and Daniel fought an uneasy panic building inside him. Had something happened to her in the beam? Had one of the power surges hit her? How could he even begin to help her if he didn’t know what was wrong? Survival was one thing, but survival with an unconscious burden was another.

Not that he would abandon her. It was her quick thinking that had saved the day. What would she have done if she’d been stuck here alone? Best not think about that now. They were here together and they’d find a way out of this mess.

The light was slowly fading as he stepped into the mouth of the cavern. He set Vala down and placed the zat gun near her once more as he moved out to search for firewood and kindling.

*o^-* o^-* o^-* o^-*

Vala awoke gasping for breath, clutching her throat as she remembered the nightmare of being burned alive in the Ori galaxy, her most recent terrifying memory in a life full of them. She sat up fully and took in her surroundings. A fire that was dwindling out lit up a small cavern and the edge of a forest outside. _All right,_ she thought, _could be worse._ She looked down at herself and noticed the clothes she was wearing were those of the people of Earth and the SGC, and then everything seemed to come flooding back in an instant. The prior, the planet, the nuclear bomb, the supergate forming…the cloaked cargo ship, Daniel…

“Daniel?” she asked of the cave, looking around for anything that resembled him. She noticed a Daniel-shaped bundle against the cave wall and crawled over to it. “Hey, wake up!” she said, shaking his arm.

“Wh-What?” he jerked his head up, brought out his gun with one hand, and grabbed Vala’s wrist with the other.

“It’s just me, Daniel. You were asleep and I was worried. Where are we?” she glanced around the cave.  
   
“ _Finally_ , you’re awake!” Daniel replaced his sidearm, took his glasses off, and rubbed his eyes.

“What do you mean? How long have we been here?”

He replaced his glasses on his nose and answered, “About a day and a half, I think, and you’ve been unconscious the whole time.”

“What?!?” Vala sat back and stared blankly at the campfire burning itself out. Her inner survivalist emerged. “Step one: weapons, water and shelter, depending on weather and enemies.”

“The zat you…” Daniel inclined his head, “borrowed…and my 9-mil berretta; there’s a spring around the side of the cave; and oh, the cave,” he gestured to their surroundings.

Vala gave him a sideways glance. “You’ve done this before?”

“Not really a babe in the woods over here,” he deadpanned.

“All right. Step two: food.”

“Four power bars left, and the local squirrels aren’t too bad, but I’d rather skip to step three—”

“Determine what we _have_ to trade or barter for what we _need_. If nothing can be traded away, prepare to steal what we need.”

“My step three is usually to find friendly help that will _provide_ what we need, but it doesn’t matter, the end result is the same.”

“So, what's our immediate need?”

“To blend in with the villagers, and by the way, it’s a village so similar to Ver Eger I’d be surprised if it isn’t the same.”

“Damn,” Vala barely whispered as Daniel stretched his arms high above his head and yawned. “Hey, have you been awake this whole time?” she asked. “You look exhausted. And where’s your jacket?”

He pointed behind her. “Your pillow.”

She shook out the jacket and brought it over to Daniel. “I was unconscious, I didn’t need a pillow.”

“You would’ve gotten dirt in your hair or bugs or something, and _then_ you would’ve complained about the dirt or the bugs.”

“I could’ve handled it, Daniel,” she shot back. He probably had been awake this whole time; he was certainly cranky.

“Well, I didn’t want to be bothered by your complaining, so just drop it, all right?”

“Fine!” She stood up dramatically, then fought a slight wave of nausea at her sudden movement. Regaining her composure, she patted Daniel on the top of his head. “You just rest your pretty little head here and I’ll go out and find some more wood for this fire.”

“No!” he shouted, a bit too quickly. “It’s dark, you could get lost, and...and I’m about ready to fall asleep again.”

“Go ahead and sleep, Daniel,” she soothed. “Everything will be all right.” She looked out into the forest, her eyes adjusting to the dim starlight. “I’ll only go out to the edge of the forest. This fire is going out and we’ll get cold—”

“No, it’s not worth it for you to get lost or hurt or something. Just, I don’t know, sit next to me or something to stay warm. Here, I might still have your silly scarf.” He rooted around in his pockets for the item and handed it back to her. “Besides, I think it’s only a few hours ’til dawn anyway.”

“Daniel,” she crouched in front of him, accepted her scarf, and looked him straight in the eyes, “as much as I’d love to sit here and cuddle with you, we need to build up this fire a little. I’ve got my radio, and you have yours too, it appears. I’ll take the zat and I’ll be gone five minutes, ten tops.”

Daniel returned her stare and Vala tried to figure out why he was being so reluctant to let her leave. He broke the gaze and shook his head. “You’ve been asleep for over thirty hours. I don’t know what happened to you in the beam, why you arrived unconscious and I didn’t. Look, there might be something wrong and I want you to stay close.”

“I feel fine, Daniel, you’re worrying too much. I realize something may have happened to me, but you’ve got to relax. Here,” she set her watch alarm for five minutes, “set your watch. I’ll be back, okay?”

Vala stood up then and there was nothing Daniel could do short of pulling her forcibly back and curling his arms around her. That was peculiar. He’d been so short with her on the _Prometheus_ , this behavior was some turn-around. Well, she knew from experience that survival situations played on a person’s nerves. He was probably just feeling the effects of the strain and sleep-deprivation.

She only had the five minutes she’d promised him, so she walked a few steps out of the cave to find the firewood she’d wanted to get. She fought the dizziness swirling in her head for a moment, then dug around in her pocket for an energy bar, thinking she was just hungry. But once she’d finished it, she realized that hadn’t been the only problem. She came upon the spring Daniel had mentioned and took a few sips of water, and while the coolness helped a little, the dizziness and faint nausea remained. What if Daniel was right and something had happened to her in the matter stream? She fought panic then and groped around for firewood. She’d stay strong because weaknesses like these were no help when you were trying to survive.

Once Vala had gathered a few pieces of firewood she headed back to the cave just as hers and Daniel’s watch alarms went off. She placed the wood on the fire, and light and warmth slowly returned to the cave. Winking at Daniel, she assured him that he could sleep while she kept watch for the rest of the night. She sat on the ground, warming her hands over the fire and looking out into the forest.


	2. Chapter 2

Vala let Daniel sleep as long as he needed the following morning. As soon as it was light, she took her zat and went out into the forest to find breakfast. Squirrels and rabbits really were the best choices. Who knew what kind of fruits and berries might be poisonous, but cooking meat generally kept one from getting sick. She caught a couple then proceeded to clean and gut them with the knife hidden in her boot. She brought back more firewood and got the fire going to a nice hot blaze, laying the pieces of meat on the rocks lining the campfire. She rotated them every once in a while to make sure every piece was thoroughly cooked.

 _Well then, breakfast is served,_ she thought, though Daniel still hadn't stirred. She shrugged her shoulders and ate her portion, deciding he probably needed as much sleep as possible.

As he slept she settled back against her side of the cave and pondered their situation once again. She knew there was definitely a way back to their galaxy because priors had been arriving there nearly once a day. Therefore, there was a gate and a power source capable of getting them home. Problem was, where was it?

 _Celestis!_ That's where the fanatical religion's headquarters were, that's probably where the priors came from when they gated to their galaxy. _Okay,_ she wondered, _how do we get to Celestis? Or, is it even on this planet?_

Daniel chose that moment to stir from his slumber. He blinked a few times then focused on the campfire, then on Vala across the cave. She smiled brightly at him. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah. Not too bad." He sat up and stretched, scrubbing his hands over his face and through his hair. He'd been clean-shaven on the _Prometheus_ , but Vala noticed two-day beard growth on his face. Tilting her head and not really trying to hide her smile, she couldn't quite decide which look she liked better on him.

"What?" Daniel asked.

"Nothing," Vala replied, this time trying to hide her smirk. She moved toward the fire and checked to see if the meat was too overcooked. It was still warm, and only slightly charred. She handed it over. "The burnt parts might add a little flavor. Not many spices to be found out there."

"I won't complain." Daniel accepted the food and took a tentative bite.

"Promises, promises," Vala teased.

"Hey," Daniel shot back, "I'm not that bad."

Vala shrugged her shoulders. "You are moody and cranky on the best of days, Daniel." She moved back to her corner of the cave and silently thanked her lucky stars. She'd go crazy with boredom if she wasn't able to have a little fun getting a rise out of her Daniel every so often.

"That's only because you..." he began. "Never mind. I think I'm still a little too tired to get into a verbal sparring match with you." He finished his meal and then a look of slight surprise crossed over his face as he noticed the water bottle sitting near him.

 _Yes, Daniel, I left it there for you._ She sighed a little. _Would he ever see her as more than a self-centered con-artist?_ "All right, no sparring today," she agreed, nodding. "Then I think we should head back to the rings later. We should see if your SGC has mounted a rescue and come here to find you."

"I don't know," Daniel argued. "I hope the supergate was destroyed, otherwise all this would be for nothing."

"True, but I get the feeling that you all put a lot of faith in that Samantha Carter of yours. I'm guessing if anyone could find their way here to rescue you, she'd be the one."

"Normally I'd agree with you, but there's only so much she can do. Besides, I left a short message by the ring platform that would let them know we made it here safely if they ever did make their way here."

Vala was too worried to hide it. "What sort of message? We don't want these religious zealots to find us."

"Nothing overt. Just a 'D' carved into a tree. No one would really notice it unless they were looking for it."

"You've been gone missing before, huh?" Vala questioned softly.

"Like I said, not the first time I had to survive on my own away from the rest of SG-1." Daniel shrugged. "So, back to what you were saying, I don't think it's necessary to go back to the ring platform. If anyone from the SGC had gotten here, they would've seen my message and radioed. Since they haven't we can assume that we're still alone."

"Well," Vala conceded, "that does make a great deal of sense." She considered something else. "I still think we ought to head toward the village. We'll need a change of clothes if we're to blend in."

Daniel interjected quickly, "I don't want to steal anything. That's sure to get us burned alive again."

"So is showing up looking like outsiders, I would think," Vala reasoned. "But if you're dead-set on _not_ stealing anything," Daniel once again nodded, "then how about this? Many communities keep donation baskets in their central squares or council buildings. Items that families don't need, or are more rags than clothes. Some people even keep rag piles at their homes, with clothes that are beyond mending or too dirty for use." Vala shook her head in disgust. "It isn't my first choice at all, but would you be willing to take those items?"

Daniel seemed to think about it and nodded. "Better than our SGC uniforms I guess."

Vala couldn't hide her smile. He probably was too tired to think of his own idea, but she took pride in seeing him agree with her. The very next moment she berated herself for needing his approval. _Talk about mood swings,_ she thought. "We'll go under the cover of dark then." And she started to tick off what they'd need to find. A shirt, pants, and possibly a jacket for Daniel. A dress for Vala most likely. Boots that fit would be harder to find, but they should probably look for sacks to carry their things in. If they had to, they could cake their SGC boots in mud and hopefully disguise their outsider-ness from anyone who looked too closely.

Having decided on their plan, Vala closed her eyes for a short rest. She was seriously confused by the sudden exhaustion that swept over her. She could usually stay awake for much longer. But as soon as she laid her head down on the ground, she was out like a light.

* * *

From what they could tell, it was a little after midnight when they crept along the edge of the village. Not a soul was awake, every light in every window was out. They moved cautiously through the streets and alleys, having minimal starlight to light their way. When they came upon the village's central meeting hall, they split up and circled it, arriving back at the front and having found no 'donation barrels.'

Daniel raised an eyebrow as if to say, _Now what?_

Vala looked around and thought. Every community could be counted on to leave scraps of clothing for their homeless and needy. She tilted her head in the direction of the building's front doors. _Maybe inside,_ she indicated.

Daniel shook his head, _Way too risky._

Vala eyed him back then looked toward a few nearby houses, clotheslines clearly visible.

Daniel shook his head more vehemently. _No way._ Then he moved toward the main building.

They kept to the shadows as they crept up the steps, and to their immense relief the double doors opened soundlessly. Again they split up to search the outer wall and alcoves of the building. Vala heard a single click on her radio, the signal that Daniel had found something. She headed back in his direction where he stood over a couple of baskets of worn out clothes.

"Don't you just love shopping, darling?" Vala whispered with glee, holding a ragged dress up to her chest. It smelled horrible, but there didn't seem to be any gaping holes, except down by the hem. It was also a tad low-cut, as she looked down at the bodice. Daniel must have noticed as well because he handed over a partially dirt-stained shirt that might fit underneath the dress.

Next they fished through the second barrel looking for suitable clothing for Daniel. He held at least three pairs of pants up to his waist but none of them looked quite big enough. Vala sighed to herself. _Nothing beautifully form-fitting for her Daniel on this shopping trip,_ she thought.

"Pick out something bigger than you need," she whispered. "You can use your uniform belt to keep the pants up." She nodded toward the front doors. "I'm going to try to find some old sacks we can use to carry the rest of our things."

"Wait, Vala," Daniel spoke as loudly as he dared but she was already gone.

Not only did Vala need the bags she'd mentioned, she also needed some spare cloth, thread and needle. The last pair of pants Daniel had held up had holes in the front knee and the backside, and the poor, yellowed shirt he'd picked had holes in at least one elbow and the left side of its torso.

She found the cloth and satchels she needed outside a nearby house, and there were extra needles and spools of thread amidst some other mending sitting on the outer porch of the house next door. Daniel might rail at her later, but they did need these things.

Vala met Daniel back at the tree they'd chosen as their rendezvous point if they ever got separated. He seemed a bit irritated but she let that slide as she suddenly fought a wave of nausea. They were going to have to either wash their clothes or bathe immediately; she almost couldn't stand their combined three-day-roughing-it smell. She stopped and leaned her forehead against the tree, inhaling and exhaling slowly.

"What's wrong? We need to get out of here," Daniel whispered, still clearly irritated with her.

"Awful smell," Vala said vaguely, becoming more than a little irritated herself.

"Well, you're no bed of roses either, sweetheart," Daniel shot back defensively. "Come on." And he pulled her from the tree and led the way back to their cave.

* * *

By the time they got back to the cave, Vala had stumbled twice and it appeared she could hardly keep her eyes open. Daniel started to wish he hadn't set such a grueling pace to get away from the village, but the sky was starting to lighten up, and he'd wanted to get back to their shelter before dawn.

Vala immediately went towards the spring and cupped her hand for a drink of water. He also saw her take out the energy bar in her pocket, rolling back the wrapper, taking a bite, then replacing it for later.

It was the beginning of their fourth day here, and he had to admit, both of them were getting ripe. Unfortunately, the results of their "shopping excursion" were no cleaner than the clothes on their backs.

As Vala walked back to the cave entrance, leaning heavily against the rough rock wall, Daniel made a decision. "Hand over that dress," he said. "I'm going to follow the stream from the spring until it widens out a little." He looked over the clothes. "We can't really wash them without any soap, but I'll rinse them out then come back and let them air out in the sunshine." He paused and offered a sheepish smile. "Hopefully it'll get rid of the vagrant smell."

Vala nodded wearily and straightened up. "I'll come with you. We really shouldn't get separated."

Daniel couldn't help noticing the dark circles under her eyes as she got closer to him. "No, you stay here and rest."

"I'm fine."

"You're exhausted," Daniel tried to argue.

"So are you," Vala bit back.

"No, I'm not," Daniel whined.

Vala raised an eyebrow and looked directly at him, daring him to deny it again. "Fine, I'm tired too. But only one of us has to go, the other can stay back and get some rest. And since I offered to go, I'm going." He refrained from mentioning that she looked about ready to fall over.

Vala on the other hand looked out into the forest, and something like worry flitted across her features. It was gone when she looked back and merely rolled her eyes. "If you get discovered and captured, I'm not coming to rescue you."

"Same here," Daniel replied, patting her shoulder and turning her in the direction of the cave. "Keep the zat handy—"

"As if I need the reminder," Vala retorted, practically falling to the ground and leaning her head back against the cave wall.

"I'll be back before you know it," Daniel promised, then he took the sacks of clothes and followed the stream away from the cave.

It widened steadily the farther he got from the cave, but he had to walk at least an hour before it got deep enough to soak and rinse the clothes without stirring up any silt or mud. He scrubbed the clothes together as best he could, and even though some of the stains were still present, he thought maybe the smell was dissipating a little.

He thought about walking farther along the stream and hoping to come by a lake or large pond for bathing. But as much as he wanted a bath, he really didn't want to be gone from Vala so long. He compromised though and took off his shirt and rinsed off his chest, arms, and back as best he could in the creek. _Better than nothing,_ he thought.

Finally, he wrung out and shook the clothes so they were damp and not dripping, and followed the stream back to Vala.

What he found when he got back was not a sleeping Vala, but a half-naked one. Her hair was swept up in a messy ponytail and she was wiping a wet cloth over her shoulders and back, thankfully the only part of her body in his line of sight. Her bra was unhooked at the back, but fell into the crooks of her elbows, as if she'd be ready to cover herself up at a moment's notice. The other thing he noticed as he stood still, not daring to move and disturb her, was that the bra was not some flimsy, lacy thing he'd half expected to see her wearing, but what looked to be comfortable cotton. Before he knew it, she was hooking the bra back up and reaching for her shirt to put it back on.

Daniel knew he was about to be caught staring, so he quickly ducked behind a tree and made a little more noise than usual before emerging and making it back to the cave. He silently prayed she'd have her shirt on by then. He really didn't need any more of a reminder of what she looked like under her clothes. He figured the best way to keep her from commenting on any possible staring was to speak up first.

"I thought you'd be sleeping."

Vala smiled knowingly. He'd been caught, he might even be blushing. He prepared himself for a seductive purr or an unveiled, innuendo-laced come-on. Yet she only held his gaze for a moment or two longer before reaching out for a few of the wet clothes he was holding and turning back toward the cave. "Frankly, my own gross stench kept me awake." She sighed. "I _was_ exhausted, but I could hardly breathe. After a while I gave up on sleep and decided to figure out where the sunshine would likely be strongest. I found some flat rocks in the cave and laid them out over here." She led him to a clearing on the other side of the cave where the trees wouldn't shade the sun too much. As they laid out the clothes, she commented, "Let me tell you, moving rocks is sweaty business. I just had to wash up afterwards." She winked at him then. "I do hope you enjoyed the show."

"Huh? Oh, I...I really didn't see anything," Daniel stammered, realizing he'd let his guard down as he admired her idea of keeping the clean clothes off the ground.

"No need to blush, darling," Vala purred. "We both know I'm gorgeous." She patted his cheek then and moved off toward the denser part of the forest. "Do me a favor and watch over our things while I rustle us up some grub."

He should've been thankful that she was leaving him alone and maturely ignoring his hard-on, but he felt bad that she hadn't had a chance to rest yet today. "Hey, why don't you stay here and rest while I start on lunch?" Daniel offered in what he thought was a pleasant tone.

"Why?" Vala snapped back. "Because I'm a poor, beautiful woman who should be coddled and protected? I appreciate that you can take care of yourself, Daniel, but so can I."

"Hey, Vala," Daniel responded in kind, "you know I didn't mean that."

"Just," Vala huffed, "just get some more firewood if you're so inclined to be helpful."

"I will then!" he shouted to her retreating form. _What in the world is with her?_

* * *

_What in the world is with me?_ It was obvious Daniel hadn't meant she couldn't take care of herself, so why the hell had she snapped at him? Vala sighed as she tracked a squirrel climbing a nearby tree. This damn exhaustion was taking a huge toll on her. _Spark!_ One down, one to go. She spotted her next quarry as she walked up to the first squirrel and zatted it again to properly kill it.

After lunch she would really try to rest. Hopefully by nightfall the clothes would be dry enough for her to mend the holes and then they'd be able to venture from their cave tomorrow. Maybe Daniel was right and they'd be able to find some help. Maybe someone with a spare bed because she was really beginning to curse the dirty ground. Even though she had kidded with Daniel about not caring about bugs in her hair, it was truly her worst fear. After having a 'snake' in one's head for so long, who wouldn't be scared of creepy-crawlies near their mouths and necks?

 _Spark!_ Squirrel number two. Her stomach growled as she cleaned their meals and brought them back to the campfire, already burning brightly with Daniel's contribution of firewood. Just a little bit longer and she could take that nap.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey, are you all right?"

Vala had just stopped and was sitting on a rock for the second time today. They were dressed in their new village clothes, the sunshine having done wonders for the smell, even if they were still a bit stained and off-color. Daniel was carrying the sacks with their uniforms and other equipment that might give them away. They'd decided to walk in the general direction of the village, but still remain careful of being discovered.

"I'm okay, just more tired than I'd like to admit." She bent her head low and simply asked for a moment to catch her breath.

Daniel sat next to her and rubbed circles over her back. He was worried for her, mostly because he had no idea how to help, and this useless feeling kept building up in the pit of his stomach.

He recalled her falling asleep immediately after lunch the day before. She'd murmured something about taking a short nap and promptly fallen asleep, curled up on her jacket and snoring softly. He'd taken the quiet time to think about their situation. Especially how they might get home.

It was nice of Vala to have so much faith in Sam to rescue them, but Daniel had his doubts. Sam was brilliant of course, but it would take more than the _Prometheus_ and a few planet searches to find them. No, he and Vala would have to figure out something by themselves.

Obviously there was a way to get back to the Milky Way. The priors were evidence of that. But where did they originate from… _Duh! Celestis!_ Daniel had literally smacked his palm against his forehead when he'd remembered their visit to the "City of the Gods." _Okay,_ he thought next, _where is it? And how do we get there?_

They'd traveled by rings before. If they were lucky and Celestis was on this planet, could they possibly use the rings on the hill above the village to get there? They'd have to find the correct code, of course. It was a long shot, but it was possible.

Then again, the city was full of priors and other religious zealots. It probably wouldn't be easy to gain access to their stargate. But still, it was an idea worth exploring further.

Later that evening, Vala had woken up and gone to retrieve their clothes which were sufficiently dry. Then she'd done something he hadn't expected at all. She carefully sewed patches into the holes in his pants and shirt.

She had urged him to get some sleep and promised to wake him in the middle of the night when it was his turn to take watch. He'd laid down then and simply watched her as he fell asleep. If she'd noticed him, she hadn't said anything. No teasing whatsoever. She'd simply finished patching the clothes and laid them near the fire to dry out more completely.

When she'd wakened him well past midnight, he couldn't help noticing her droopy eyelids and had been about to scold her for not getting him up sooner, but she hadn't baited him since before lunch and so he'd kept his temper in check. No use making her feel worse than she probably already felt. Daniel had assured her he was awake enough to keep watch and that she could sleep for the rest of the night. She'd simply nodded, then sat down next to him and let her head fall on his shoulder. She'd fallen asleep before he could protest and move her aside.

He'd tried not thinking about it, but if he was honest with himself, he was glad he hadn't moved her. It kind of felt nice to have her sitting close to him like that, her soft hands curled on his waist, her legs scooted close as if craving his warmth.

He'd risked raising his arm to settle it around her shoulders, but she didn't wake up, merely scrunched closer against his chest. The fire had been built up while he'd been sleeping. It would be a while yet before it would die out. He had plenty of time to rest and think and keep watch.

A moment later, Vala straightened up and brought him out of his early morning memories. "Do you smell that?" she asked. "I think there's a fire burning nearby."

She stood up slowly and strode away from their chosen path, apparently following her nose toward a small cottage. As cottages went, it wasn't much on the outside; two stories, a thatched roof, flower boxes in the windows and a garden in front and around the sunny side of the house. A well-worn path led in the direction of the village and a small, elderly woman in familiar peasant garb was exiting the house and proceeding to weed the garden.

Daniel and Vala hung back at the edge of the forest surrounding the property to quietly observe the scene. It wouldn't do to frighten the woman who might be able to help them. Just as Daniel was deciding on how to approach the kind-looking woman, he heard a man's voice calling from a barn-like building that Daniel hadn't noticed, it being half-hidden behind the house and among the trees.

"Kira! It appears we have visitors!"

He was a man of medium build and height and about the same age as the woman. Apparently he'd noticed them right away and he waved to the woman to join him as the elderly couple walked toward Daniel and Vala.

"I am Ber and this is my wife, Kira, and," he continued cautiously, "you two look to be lost."

"Uh, yes. I'm Daniel and this is Vala, and we _are_ somewhat lost." Both Daniel and Vala smiled shyly, hoping to make good impressions with this couple.

"Where are you headed, Daniel? We can point you in the right direction if you like."

"Ber, can you not see how tired and hungry they look?" The woman looked pointedly in her husband's eyes before turning back to the younger couple. "The least we can do is offer you a meal."

"We couldn't impose on you," Daniel stepped in, thinking if they seemed grateful for any help and looked pathetic enough, Kira might win Ber over for them. "Directions would be fine. We can find our way beyond that."

"But, Daniel…" Vala began softly whining and he squeezed her hand to try silencing her.

Ber eyed Daniel more warily. First contact was so tricky and as much as they needed help, they couldn't afford to offend these people and risk a barbeque. "Look, we didn't mean to disturb you, we'll try to find the village. I believe it's nearby…" Daniel nodded in the direction of the path he assumed would lead them to the village.

"No you don't, young man. You two look as though you've been traveling for hours with nothing to eat and I for one am going to feed you. Come here, girl. Oh, you look so pale." Kira walked up to Vala and touched her cheek, then gathered her around the waist and marched her toward the cottage.

"My wife has a soft heart. I suppose you think you were lucky to come upon us, do you?" Ber's eyes bore into Daniel's and it didn't take glasses to read the caution in the older man's stance. "I am not one to trust as easily as Kira but I believe we can spare one meal."

"We truly do not wish to intrude. The meal would be much appreciated, and then we'll be on our way."

Ber nodded slowly and the two men followed the women into the house. They all sat around the kitchen table while Kira busied herself ladling stew into bowls. The house looked so similar to Harrid and Sallis's house in Ver Eger that Daniel felt an even greater sense of déjà vu. Hopefully their stint in this galaxy wouldn't end like the last one almost had.

"Oh, Kira, this is wonderful!" Vala exclaimed over the stew. "I don't know how we can thank you."

"Well, dear," Kira patted Vala's cheek, "you can explain to me how you came to be lost in the woods, wandering around without food or water. Why aren't you at home with your family, dear?"

"It's noth—" Daniel began but Vala interrupted him.

"Well, I'll tell you. We've been traveling for days and Daniel, here, would not stop for directions no matter how much I begged."

Daniel rolled his eyes and went back to his stew. At least he'd have a good meal before being burned to death.

"Then yesterday," Vala continued without missing a beat, "we were robbed of nearly all our possessions quite a ways from here. Daniel, of course, beat up the six men and saved the rest of our things."

_I beat up six guys?_ He was almost proud of the way she saw him, until…

"They were scrawny young men, though, probably more hungry and desperate than we were." Vala shook her head at the made-up memory and continued her tale, "Anyway, we've been wandering through the forest until I smelled the delightful aroma of your fire."

"Thank the Ori you were unhurt," Ber said evenly.

"Yes," Daniel replied softly, meeting the other man's eyes, "thank the Ori."

"And your family, miss?" Ber prodded.

"We—" Daniel tried again but Vala was quicker.

"Daniel _is_ my family," she smiled genuinely. "We're married, almost three months now."

Daniel had to force the smile he gave to Vala because he was a breath away from throttling her.

"Seems a bit strange to be out traveling with a new bride." Ber responded to their shared glance over Kira's obvious cooing.

Daniel shrugged as nonchalantly as possible. "Work was scarce in our village and we decided to try our luck elsewhere. But Vala, dear," he tried to feign sweetness, "we've taken up too much of their time. We should make our way to the village."

"Nonsense, young man," Kira spoke. "Nightfall approaches and I will not have you out there wandering another day when there is plenty of room here at this house. We'll help get you on your feet and see you settled."

Ber simply watched the two strangers in his kitchen and his eyes dared the younger couple to give him a reason to throw them out of his house.

Again Vala spoke up, apparently intent on smoothing things over. "Kira, I sincerely appreciate the meal, but I believe my husband is right. We can't impose on you a minute longer, as much as I love your home and hospitality." She stood up then, walked around the table to Ber, and extended her hand to him. "There is no way we can repay you now, but please take our heartfelt thanks." She bent to kiss the older man on the forehead and then moved off to the door as Daniel followed, observing the silent exchange of glances between a true husband and wife.

Ber nodded almost imperceptibly. "Wait, child. You've worked your charm and earned yourself a night." He smiled for a brief moment as Vala turned from the door. "And if you and your husband can help around the house and farm, you may earn a week or more. But let's see if we can make you more comfortable for now." Kira was clearly beaming at her husband. She rushed up to Vala and gushed over her as a child would over a new toy.

Daniel watched the scene and answered the man still seated at the table. "I'd be happy to help in any way I can, sir. Thank you, for everything."

"Save your thanks." Ber waved him off. "Let's just see if you're at all handy with a tool." Then Ber guided him out the door. "Follow me, son."

Thank the Ori Ber didn't ask any more questions about him or Vala. Daniel was in such a terrible, conflicting mood now, he had no idea what he might say. Ber simply showed Daniel around the small farm. The animals were similar to those found on Earth and Daniel marveled again about the similarities of life among the stars. They had a cow for milk, chickens for eggs, and a few pigs. Ber explained that the fence around the sty needed repairing so, handing over a few tools, they set to work.

_Married. He'd kill her._ Something quick. Something painful. Well, not really. Why did he let her get to him like this? They were out here trying to survive, in another galaxy for crying out loud, and she was playing games. He concentrated on the task at hand, if for no other reason than to appear grateful to the man giving them shelter for the night. Shelter that should have included a nice soft bed.

Daniel was truly exhausted, about as much as Vala was, but now, thanks to her, he'd have to sleep on the floor, because, since they were married _—he was so going to kill her_ —Kira no doubt would put them up in a single spare room, with just one bed, that he absolutely was not going to share with Vala. _Married. He'd kill her._

* * *

Vala looked over her shoulder as Daniel and Ber left the house. _Well, that went better than expected._ Daniel was probably going to kill her for saying they were married, but really it was the only logical choice. She'd just have to make him see that. But Kira was leading her to a spare room and opening a trunk full of dresses, most of them blue and all of them clean.

"Here you are, dear, I'm sure you'll be much more comfortable in one of these than that dirty old outfit."

"Oh yes, Kira, these are lovely. They even look to be my size, although we may have to let down the hems a little."

Kira beamed up at Vala. "We can take care of that in no time, child. Pick out a few you like and we'll work on them together."

"Oh, I couldn't take all your clothes. Just one or two should get me by."

"But these aren't mine, dear." Vala noticed a tear threaten to surface in the older woman's eye. "They were my daughter's."

"Kira?"

"It's nothing. She passed away, many years ago. I suppose," she looked over at Vala and smiled, "I've missed having a daughter around the house." She sniffed back her tears. "I'll try not to become too overprotective of you, dear. You have your own life to lead. I would just like to help if I can."

Vala felt her heart break a small bit and reached out to hug Kira fiercely. "You be as overprotective as you wish, Kira. I miss my own mother terribly sometimes. I won't presume to replace your daughter, but I'd appreciate whatever help you can give me…and Daniel." She laughed through the unbidden tears forming in her own eyes. If Daniel had been there he might have accused her of laying it on rather thick, but he never seemed to understand how closely her words came to the truth.

Kira hugged Vala tightly, cementing their bond. But there were chores to be done—weeding and laundry, cooking dinner and hemming dresses—so the two women separated with teary-eyed smiles, rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

* * *

"Ber! Daniel!" Kira called from the house. "Dinner will be done shortly. You two should come in and wash up."

Daniel followed Ber to the barn and they put their tools away. When they got to the house, Kira put a stack of clean clothes in Daniel's hands and led him to the back door. "Vala is out washing up in the bath. You should join her before dinner," she said, unsuccessfully hiding a twitch of her nose.

He blushed then and really hoped Kira would think it was because he was embarrassed about his appearance, not because he didn't want to accidentally run into a naked Vala. He felt stiff with sweat and dirt but he really didn't want to know what trick Vala might be trying in the bathhouse.

Then again, with dinner starting soon what could she really do? And they were supposed to be married so he really couldn't appear embarrassed about seeing his wife in a bathtub. He shook his head as he walked out the back door, firmly closing his eyes as he shut it behind him.

"Daniel," he heard Vala calling his name, but she was farther away than he'd expected. He dared opening his eyes to slits, but the copper-looking tub was empty of a soapy, Vala-shaped body. Just half-filled with hot water.

"Over here, Daniel," she repeated. "Give me a hand with these." She was hefting a pail of water that had been heating over a fire. There was a second one behind her that she was also trying to lift. He moved over to her and picked both up.

"Thank you, darling," she said with a brilliant smile as she took the clean clothes from his arms. "A hot bath really does rejuvenate the soul."

"I've been working all afternoon on the fence in the hot sun, and you've been having a relaxing soak. Perfect!" Daniel whined.

"Remind me, Daniel," Vala gritted through her teeth, "how many weeds did you see in the herb garden in front of the house? Tell me, how far away does that well look to you?" She pointed in its direction some thirty yards away. "And how many pails of hot water do you think it takes to fill that tub? Water that takes firewood to heat, firewood that does not gather itself." She raised her eyebrows then and dared him to speak. He wanted to strike back but she continued in a hot-tempered yet sweet voice. "Now, when you eat your stew in a little while, I'd like you to take note of how many vegetables are chopped up nicely. And then, I'd like you to accuse me of wasting the day away in the tub in front of the nice couple who are letting us stay the night."

Daniel opened his mouth to speak and then thought better of it. He really should apologize but he was sore and frustrated and just didn't feel like it. Instead he simply lifted his eyebrow. "You waiting for a strip tease? 'Cause like you, I'd like a little privacy while I bathe."

Vala smirked back at him. "I think they'd expect me to stay and help you get all your hard to reach spots." Daniel began to grumble, but she put a finger to his lips. "Let's not spoil this just yet, darling." She must've realized he was about to explode because she walked back to the door, leaving him alone in the half-outdoor bathhouse, another hard-on forming against his will.

* * *

Once dinner was over and Daniel and Vala were shown to their room, Daniel quietly shut the door, and using all his willpower he refrained from shouting at Vala at the top of his lungs.

"Married? Are you mad?"

"Not again," she sighed. "Of course I'm not mad, and if you'd stop to think about it, it's the most logical story."

"Wha– I…" he began pacing around the small room. "Logical, are you kidding? Wait, what are you doing?"

"I'm taking this dress off. What does it look like I'm doing?"

Daniel turned around and sighed heavily.

"Oh, relax, there's a shirt underneath. I'm perfectly decent."

"There's nothing logical about us pretending to be married."

"Well, what would you have suggested? Kira had asked about my family."

"You could have said we were siblings or cousins or something," he spoke to the wall.

"You can turn around now, Daniel. And that wouldn't have worked. You and I speak differently. Ber would have picked up on that lie in an instant."

"Well, what's wrong with 'just friends' then, or 'just travelers.'"

"Are you serious? Do you realize where we are, Daniel? The followers of Origin have some pretty strict rules and I doubt they would look kindly on a couple of 'travelers' lost in the woods _alone_." Vala made air quotes as she spoke and put extra emphasis on the word 'alone.' "This way, by masquerading as a newly married couple, we can spend time together without arousing suspicion and without the need for a constant chaperone. I'd be prepared to wager that Kira would have volunteered immediately for the role."

Daniel slumped down on the bed, defeated. "This is a nightmare. This is an _absolute_ nightmare."

"Yes, well, I've survived worse, and I imagine you have, too. We'll get through this. You'll just have to pretend to like me." Vala flashed him a brilliant smile.

Daniel stood up and shook his head, then grabbed a few pillows and an extra blanket from the bed.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Daniel mimicked her.

"It looks like you're making up a bed in the corner of the room."

"How observant of you."

"Daniel, I don't think that's wise."

"Oh no no no. Now _this_ is where I draw the line. I am not sleeping in the same bed with you. Period."

"And what if Ber or Kira come knocking on the door, walk in, and see you on the floor, hmm?"

"They won't."

And as if on cue, there was a knock on the door.

"What the—!" Daniel muttered under his breath as he kicked the pillows and linens behind the bed. He went to open the door and Kira stood in the hallway, peering inside.

"Hello, Daniel, Vala. I just wanted to make sure you two had everything you needed before I turned in for the night. I even brought an extra quilt. I think this room gets a bit drafty."

"Oh, there's no need, Kira," Vala sidled up to Daniel and put her arms around his waist, "we like to sleep close when it's cold."

"Oh, you children." Kira grinned. "Well, I'll still leave this with you, just in case."

"Thank you, Kira." Daniel accepted the blanket, perhaps a bit too hastily.

"Good night, Kira!" Vala added cheerily.

"Good night, dears, sleep well."

Daniel closed the door on the older woman's smiling face, reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is a nightmare." He picked up the pillows and sheets and laid them out as before, then made himself comfortable on the floor. Well, as comfortable as he could while sleeping on a hard floor.

"Daniel?"

"Nuh uh! Go to sleep! I've had enough today."


	4. Chapter 4

She was kissing him. Vala was sitting there, straddling him, dragging him up by the shirt, and kissing him, and Daniel could think of no good reason _not_ to kiss her back. Her breath was hot and he tasted the salty hint of sweat on her upper lip. He moved his hands from where they rested on her thighs up to her waist and felt her shiver beneath his fingers. In half a second he'd push her away and call her a fruitcake and she'd knock him out with a head-butt, but in this moment he relished the feel of her.

Yet he wasn't pushing her away. He was deepening the kiss, trying to taste all of her at once. Suddenly, Daniel was aware that he wasn't in control of his body. He wasn't recalling a memory, he was dreaming. He was dreaming the one nightmare that had plagued him for nearly half a year. And if that wasn't bad enough, he couldn't wake up.

His body was tense and relaxed all at the same time. He could feel himself hardening beneath Vala as she wiggled in his lap. Trailing kisses down her neck, he wrapped his arms around her and eased the zat-absorbing, super-soldier undergarment from her shoulders.

Daniel forced his lips from her skin and looked up at Vala. The form-fitting, super-soldier suit was replaced with the leather bustier outfit complete with buckled collar. Yet his fingers went to work on the straps as if it was the most normal thing in the world. He exposed her neck once more and nibbled at a sensitive spot below her earlobe, eliciting a wonderful purr from her throat. Daniel hated that he enjoyed the dream, he hated _admitting_ to himself that he enjoyed the dream.

He lifted his head once more from her perfect neck and felt soft cotton beneath his hands where there had once been leather. Vala knelt in front of him, a single tear streaming down her cheek and he recalled her appearance—or rather Sallis, whom he was always able to envision as Vala—when she'd been brought back to life after being burned alive. He kissed her hard then, and he honestly didn't know if he was in control now or not. Daniel tried not to remember how scared he'd been for her, or how relieved he'd felt when softness replaced her crisp and charred form. He kissed her as if it was the only way to drive the fear away, as if his life depended on it.

When he broke the kiss for air, Vala was sitting in his lap, smiling seductively at him in a pink tank top and matching panties. She stroked his cheek and eyed his mouth. Fisting her hands in his collar she kissed him senseless, driving him wild. He was going insane with his body's need for her. He entwined his hands with hers and whispered her name between kisses. Vala answered him, equally entranced, equally breathless.

"Daniel? Daniel!"

"Wh-What?"

"Are you all right? You called my name."

Vala knelt less than a foot away, her hand covering his. He focused and sat up, instinctively clutching the quilt over his waist.

"I'm fine, just a dream…a nightmare, really," Daniel added quickly. "I can't remember all of it, but I think it was another Ori witch hunt."

Vala shivered. "Ooh, yes, that _is_ a nightmare. But you're okay, now. We're both all right; that won't happen this time."

He nodded. "Right," dipping his head, he tried to avoid her gaze, "you're right, of course."

She patted his hand and replied, "Of course I am." Then she stood up and walked back to the bed.

"Vala…" _Don't say it. Just. Don't. Say it._ "It's a good idea to pretend to be married." _Why was he admitting this?_ "It was quick thinking on your part and I should have realized that. I'm sorry. And…um…sorry about the 'soaking in the tub all day' quip too." Daniel glanced up at her, catching her surprised look. He tried to recall if he'd ever apologized to her and found that he hadn't.

But she recovered quickly. "Don't worry about it, Daniel. Oh, what's the saying? 'River under the bridge.'"

Daniel smirked in the dark and lay back down on the pillow. "It's 'water' – 'water under the bridge.'"

"Oh, well, whatever. Just forget about it and go back to sleep."

"Yes, dear," Daniel mumbled under his breath. Maybe it wouldn't be a _complete_ nightmare.

* * *

He'd seen the rooster yesterday when he was working on the sty's fence, so really, Daniel should've been prepared for its crow at dawn. Unfortunately he'd only just found a comfortable position in which to sleep about two hours before, so the animal would have to be shot. Immediately.

"Could we kill it and make it look like it died of natural causes?" Vala asked groggily from the bed—the nice, soft bed with warm sheets and blankets. Although she did make a certain kind of sense.

"I doubt it."

"We could zat it. It would look like the offensive animal just keeled over and died."

"Vala," Daniel sighed, "you have no right to complain, since you got to sleep in the bed."

"Sorry," she said flatly, probably not meaning it at all.

"Let's just make the best of it." Daniel stood up and stretched, then gathered up the pillows and blankets to arrange them once more on the bed. Vala whined a bit more about the sun in her eyes but finally got up and helped too.

Daniel deliberately kept his eyes off Vala while they made the bed, but her clean scent was harder to ignore. It brought back memories of their run-in in the bathhouse and how he'd almost wished she _had_ stayed to help him bathe, to help him reach the middle of his back and wash his hair. There really were times when the two of them got along just fine and then…there were all the times that he wanted to shake the nonsense out of her. It was just too bad that with every knowing smile from Vala, he remembered that he had to pretend to love her…to like her…well, to at least not hate her. And then the sleeping arrangements, and the dream.

Daniel sat on the edge of the bed and laced up his borrowed boots as he tried to prepare for whatever might happen that day. Vala was getting dressed on the other side of the room near the dresser.

"We need to get a few things straight, Daniel," Vala said as she brushed and braided her hair. "We probably should have thought of these things beforehand, but it doesn't matter now." She turned around and focused on Daniel. "What did we do in our other village? Were you a farmhand? You wear glasses, so were you a learned man, a village historian, perhaps? A schoolteacher, maybe? Did you spend hours upon hours reading the wisdom of the Ori? If so, you'd better be prepared with evidence of that knowledge."

"I…um…" _Did he and the rest of SG-1 ever have to come up with cover stories this elaborate?_ Now that he thought about it, no, they hadn't had to because they usually weren't trying to hide from the enemy out in plain sight. And in any case, most of the time there were enough villagers willing to resist the Goa'uld and help the distinguished members of the Tau'ri. This was definitely a unique situation for Daniel, and he was beginning to believe that it wasn't for Vala.

"I suppose if I'd arrived alone," Vala continued, "I could've faked memory loss or something to get out of knowing much about my past, but we really couldn't have gone that route this time. I mean, who would believe joint memory loss? Anyway, we've decided that we're married," Daniel conveniently overlooked the notion that they'd come up with this story together, "so we need to come up with a consistent backstory. I imagine you will spend most of your days with Ber, while I'm with Kira. We _cannot_ be giving them mixed stories."

"Agreed. I think I could pass as a schoolteacher, maybe an apprentice, who also found work as a farmhand. Maybe that's why we had to leave to find work, because the previous teacher came back or something."

"Good start. Let's say he was ill, and you had to take over for a few months."

"And you?" Daniel stood up then, walking over to the dresser to wash his face from the bowl of cool water.

"I don't want to pretend to have any more knowledge of Origin than the bare essentials, especially after what happened last time. No special tea prayers or ceremonies. I think we lived in my parents' house until moving on. I helped my mother with daily chores, that sort of thing. I think I can hold my own with Kira. They had a daughter who died, I can't tell how long ago, but I think Kira may see me as a kind of surrogate daughter. Anyway, that's what I'll play to."

"This isn't a game, Vala." He looked over at her, inwardly bristling over the word 'play.'

"Don't you think I realize that, Daniel? You seem to need a lot of pointers in this area of survival, and I might as well teach you."

Vala took a step closer to him, placed her hands on his shoulders, raised herself up on her tiptoes, and kissed him, not quite on the mouth, but not far enough away to be considered on the cheek.

"How do you feel, Daniel? Are you faint or dizzy? Do you feel like you might drop dead right where you're standing?"

Daniel stood there perplexed by her actions and frowned at her sarcasm-laced words. Glaring at her, he shook his head in response to her ridiculous question.

"Good," she said as she took a step back and smiled sweetly, ignoring his frustrated expression which was quickly becoming habitual. "Then let me remind you once again that we are supposed to be happily married. And if I'm not mistaken, happily married couples often do that sort of thing, as well as hold hands once in a while, or at the very least smile at one another. Do you think you can manage those things? We've just confirmed that kissing will not kill you."

"Vala—"

She cut him off, "Daniel, I'm talking about survival here. It's the same thing as hunting squirrels and stealing clothes. I do not want to be caught in a lie, I really do not."

Daniel took a deep breath and nodded. "I suppose I can manage the smiles and holding your hand," he began reluctantly, yet continued more forcefully as he squinted at her, "but don't expect more than that."

Vala let out an exaggerated sigh. "I'll take what I can get then."

A moment later there was a knock on the door and Vala moved first to open it. Ber stood in the threshold inviting them down to breakfast and reminding them that they would leave for prostration in the village soon afterward. Daniel felt the weight of the older man's gaze. Ber seemed to be continuously looking for some sign that he and Vala weren't on the level. Daniel quickly thanked Ber for the reminder and asked if they had an extra copy of the Book of Origin, as he put a hand on the small of Vala's back and led them from their room.

"Your copy was undoubtedly stolen with your other belongings," Ber replied.

"Yes, indeed." Daniel believed that Vala was letting him take the lead because she made no move to offer a story on this point. "We've felt somewhat lost without the wisdom of the Ori to guide us."

"We might have an older copy of Tulia's that you may use."

"Tulia?" Vala asked. "Was that your daughter?"

"Yes. Kira told you, did she not?"

Vala nodded. "She only mentioned that she'd died years ago. I didn't wish to upset Kira by asking further."

"Kira's grief is deep sometimes, but she seems to have found some happiness with you, child." He stopped on the stair landing and Daniel noticed a smile creep onto Ber's face only to be swept away the next instant. "I would warn you against hurting my wife, though."

Vala looked directly into Ber's eyes, she was all sincerity. "I wouldn't wish to cause you or Kira any harm. You should believe that."

Ber spent several moments regarding Vala, then looked at Daniel once more. "We shall have to see."

"Will you three be joining me for breakfast or not?"

Vala unlocked gazes with Ber and practically skipped down the stairs to the kitchen. "Why didn't you wake me, Kira? I would've gladly helped."

"Dear child, you are my guest." The two women grasped hands and hugged. Then Kira continued with a smile. "And I usually do not make a habit of intruding on newlyweds in bed."

Daniel really tried not to blush at Kira's comment or at Vala's knowing smile, but he still felt warmth flood his cheeks. At least they were covered by five days of beard growth. _Married. For survival. They ought to teach this sort of thing in survival classes at the SGC._

* * *

Vala felt anxious walking arm in arm with Kira on the path to the village. They all were going to prostration, a six-hour event she had not wished to endure ever again. The event had been so entwined with her twice-traumatic burning alive that she'd pushed the memory deep into her subconscious. She summoned those memories now, replaying in her mind the words she'd heard months ago.

She and Daniel had been able to fake their responses in Ver Eger by folding their hands over their mouths and simply moving their lips when everyone else did. But Vala suspected they'd be stuck here for quite some time and concentrated all of her mental energy on remembering some of the key phrases from her last time in this galaxy.

"Here we are, dears," said Kira. "Welcome to Ver Isca."

Daniel had been right, this village was the spitting image of Ver Eger. She really hadn't gotten a good look at it the night they went 'shopping.' Staggering slightly next to Kira, Vala swallowed the lump in her throat, then plastered a sweet smile on her face, ready to meet the challenge before her.

"We shall introduce you to some of the villagers after prostration," Ber suggested. "It appears we have arrived too late to begin introductions now."

Both Daniel and Vala nodded and let Ber and Kira lead them to the courtyard. They all knelt, Ber and Kira flanking Daniel and Vala. She settled between Kira and Daniel and felt some of her anxiety melt away, as if the two of them would shield her from the other villagers' prying eyes. She was sure that Kira would forgive any mistaken mumbling on Vala's part and Daniel's presence always gave her a sense of peace, she just didn't like to dwell or rely on it most of the time.

Vala kept her hands folded close to her mouth and focused on the words of the service. Most religions she'd encountered over the years employed ritual worship such as this. The trick was to learn the catch phrases and use them appropriately. Fortunately for Daniel he could read the Book of Origin and follow along with some of the parables that were being told. Vala instead tried to memorize what was being said and to discover a pattern of prompts and responses between the magistrate and the people. About two and half hours in, she thought she had a few of the key phrases well in hand.

"Hallowed are the Ori," Vala intoned with the rest of the crowd as they all stood up and departed from the courtyard with hand clasps, hugs, and nods. Ber and Kira led Daniel and Vala around to meet a few villagers, introducing them and relating some of the tale as to why the two strangers were living with them. Both Ber and Kira glossed over the highway-robbery and simply stated that Daniel and Vala were newly married and came to Ver Isca looking to start a new life. Kira usually jumped in at this point and exclaimed that it was her idea to help get them on their feet, and so naturally, that's why they were living in their cottage.

Of all the villagers she met, Vala was most grateful _not_ to meet the village magistrate. Simply thinking the _word_ 'magistrate' caused terrible memories to come flooding back to her. She shuddered involuntarily as she watched the man who had led them in prostration mount a mule-like animal and trot out of town. Vala absently wondered where he was going.

Daniel however asked her question aloud as they all strolled toward a tavern for the midday meal. "Ber, why is the magistrate leaving?"

"He attends to three villages in the area," Ber replied. "He spends two or three days with each, then moves on."

"Kira, it is good to see you looking well."

Vala looked around for the source of the voice. It was a man, pushing himself off the tavern wall he'd been leaning against. He looked to be Ber's height, yet broader in the shoulders. He was probably near Ber's age too, but his distinguishing feature had to be his balding pate, and the obvious fake smile he gave to each one of them.

"Seevis," Ber acknowledged coolly.

"Ber, it is good to see you at prostration. You have been absent these past two weeks."

"Seevis," Kira piped up, "you know very well that I've been ill for that time. Ber would not leave my side."

"He knows, Kira, as do the Ori, Seevis. They know my faith is unwavering. I have read from the Book of Origin and reflected on the wisdom of the Ori in my home."

"Yes," Seevis replied, "but the magistrate is better able to lead us on the Path to Enlightenment, Ber, if we but open our hearts and follow him."

Kira broke the tension, "Very true, Seevis. Thank you for the reminder. Let me introduce Daniel and Vala. They are newly married and wish to start their life together here in Ver Isca. Naturally, as the Book of Origin instructs, Ber and I have opened our home and hearts to them, as they are in need."

"How very respectable of you, Kira." Seevis waved over a pretty blonde girl. "Daniel, Vala, this is Denya, she serves my customers here at the tavern. I imagine you are all here for a meal."

"Yes, Seevis, thank you." Kira took the younger woman's hand and enfolded her in a warm hug. "How are you, child? Are you well?"

"Very well, Kira, thank the Ori," Denya smiled easily.

The four of them left Ber and Seevis talking at the tavern entrance. Vala wasn't entirely certain, but she thought she'd overheard Ber tell Seevis they were from Ver Alta. But the din of the bar and the distance between her and Ber grew as she, Daniel and Kira were led to a table inside.

Kira chatted aimlessly about some of the family connections between the villagers; who was married to whom, who was whose son or daughter. Denya colored the connections with whispered gossip to which Kira would frown. Denya would then shrug her shoulders and say she'd heard it from someone else. Vala instinctively liked Denya, just as she instinctively liked Kira and even Ber. Their personalities matched their actions and mannerisms. She could easily read their emotions.

Seevis, on the other hand, she labeled a mystery. He had bullied Ber earlier, seemingly unprovoked. She couldn't help but wonder what sort of history lay between the two men. Her instincts told her she could trust Ber, and because of that and his reaction to Seevis, her instincts told her to be wary of the tough-looking barman. And Vala took great pride in her instincts.

Their meal complete and the day much more than half over, the four made their way back to the cottage, Kira on Ber's arm and Vala on Daniel's. She resisted the urge to lay her head on his shoulder. She was tired, weary and exhausted. She told herself it was six hours of prostration and another hour of being paraded around the village, but she'd been tired for days now. She ignored it and repeated to herself that it was just the long prostration. Kneeling for so long would tire anyone out. And she refused to look weak in front of Daniel.

Because of prostration the workday was shortened, yet there were still daily chores. Daniel and Ber immediately headed off to the barn to continue repairs and Vala and Kira went into the house to start dinner preparations and sort out clothes that needed mending. Suffice it to say, both Vala and Daniel were truly exhausted when they left the dinner table that night. Daniel's failure to protest when Vala undressed was further evidence that he was too tired even for exaggerated banter.

"You can sleep in the bed if you want, Daniel. I'm really much too tired to try anything."

Even that small innuendo didn't perk him up. "Maybe another time, Vala. Go to sleep."

Unfortunately, as she lay there on the bed completely exhausted, every time she closed her eyes she saw flames licking around her. If she ever did drift off to sleep, she always woke up with a gasp from the nightmare. She turned onto her side and tried again to close her eyes. But the flames appeared again and again.

Trying to sleep despite horrific nightmares was nothing new to her. There were many, many nights when Qetesh's actions haunted her. So when this happened, the trick was to find something else to do. She'd go to a tavern sometimes and spend the whole night drinking. Every once in a while there'd be a willing body to distract her for an hour or two. Some planets were safe enough that she could go for a leisurely walk, and if she discovered a valuable artifact, who could blame her really? More often than not though, she had to stay put and count the stars. The mind-numbing activity usually put her out in no time.

Even though she knew it would be cold outside, she had to try something to get some sleep because it just wasn't going to happen in this bed. She slipped on socks and shoes and wrapped a robe around her shoulders over her nightgown. She thought about leaving a note for Daniel telling him where she was, but he was snoring loudly enough, there was no way he'd wake up before she got back. And she planned to get back before dawn.

_Easy enough really,_ she thought as she crept out of their room, down the stairs and out the door. The barn window faced the morning sunrise, she noticed as she climbed the ladder. She'd just lay down in the hayloft and fall asleep counting the stars. The first rays of sunlight would wake her up long before Ber's rooster. Then she'd just sneak back into the house and crawl into bed.

She focused on each and every star in the sky, determined not to close her eyes until she was too exhausted to dream. It really was the only surefire way to keep the nightmares at bay. She yawned for maybe the tenth time. Not long now, she thought, and slowly drifted off to oblivion.

* * *

Vala was entirely too grumpy when Daniel woke her the next morning, and he hated every one of her whines and groans. He was the one who was sore and stiff from sleeping on the floor. She was just a spoiled brat who had to rub it in his face every chance she got.

They spent the day apart from each other, he with Ber making more repairs, she with Kira tending to the vegetable garden and cooking lunch. When said lunch was announced, he thought he'd be going inside but Vala came out to meet him with a tray of food for them both.

"I felt nauseous in the house," she confessed as they sat down under the shade of a tree in the front yard. "Some of the herbs that are drying out inside have a very strong odor." She scrunched up her nose as she recalled the smell.

Daniel wasn't exactly sure how to react. Her reasoning seemed innocent enough, but he couldn't help feeling like he was being manipulated. Then suddenly, a piece of fruit was being held in front of his mouth.

"Here, try this," Vala offered sweetly. "It tastes a little like the cherry toppings at the sundae bar in the SGC cafeteria.

"Vala," Daniel groaned, "I can feed myself, thank you very much." He tried to swipe the fruit from her hand but she pulled it away.

"Daniel," she warned, keeping her voice light and her smile in place, "what did I say about married couples?"

"I still maintain that I can feed myself," he bit back, although he did offer her a half smile when he thought he saw Kira watching them from the window.

"I never said you couldn't, darling. However, let's pretend for a moment that your loving wife wants to spend a nice, quiet hour taking care of you, all right?"

"As if," Daniel muttered, but the cherry-like fruit was stuffed in his mouth as soon as he opened it. Vala's silly laugh accompanied his stuttering and he almost couldn't help laughing back.

"Practice that acting of yours, darling. They're still watching from the window," she said as she held up another piece of fruit for him and started stirring the stew with a thick slice of bread.

Daniel generously accepted the bite from her fingers with a fake smile, then took a sip of water she offered next. _Torture,_ he thought to himself, _having to pretend to be in love with this infuriating woman._

"Aren't you going to eat?" Daniel asked when he noticed she hadn't had anything yet.

"Haven't you noticed Kira the last few days? She always waits until you and Ber take a bite before she eats. I have a feeling it has to do with the culture, women serving men and all that." She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture.

_Why hadn't he noticed that?_ he wondered. He always picked up on cultural peculiarities before anyone else.

"Besides," she continued while shrugging her shoulders, "I'm not all that hungry right now."

"Well that _is_ odd," Daniel replied with a genuine smile. "I've literally never known you to turn down a meal."

Vala shrugged again. "I'm sure it'll pass. These cherry things are good though." She popped one in her mouth. "You can have the stew while I finish these off." Then she scooted around and leaned beside him against the tree.

After a few moments she gently laid her head on his shoulder, and just like in the cave a few nights ago, he was about to shove her aside until he noticed that she'd fallen asleep. It was all so annoying, that she could sleep all night in a nice warm bed and then fall asleep against him sitting underneath a tree. Sleeping Vala was a much more comfortable companion than awake and babbling Vala, but it bothered him when he found himself craving these quiet moments with her. Then it annoyed him even more when her incessant chatter _didn't_ bother him like it should.

He sighed and set the lunch tray on his other side. Then, knowing this was how Ber and Kira would find them later, he laid his head on hers and twined his fingers in her hand. _Well, not dead,_ as Vala would say. Apparently, pretending to be in love with her would not, in fact, kill him.


	5. Chapter 5

The days slipped by uneventfully as they all established an easy routine with each other. Daniel and Vala did find time one night to amicably discuss their thoughts on getting home. Vala mentioned how Celestis might have a stargate and a power source to get them back and Daniel agreed. He then offered the ring platform as their possible means of getting to Celestis. All they had to do now was determine if the city of the gods was on this planet and what the particular code was for sending the rings there.

Until then, they decided to behave as normally as possible and tried to avoid unnecessary attention. They even had an end-of-the-day ritual.

"You know you can sleep in the bed, Daniel," Vala would say while letting out the seams in one of her dresses or munching on an apple. "I won't bite unless you ask."

"I'm comfortable here, thank you," he would reply, not even looking up from Tulia's copy of Origin.

On some nights Vala would ask him if he was learning anything useful. Daniel had explained that Tulia wrote a lot of notes in the margins, but that they didn't seem to make much sense. She'd put away her sewing supplies, throw the dress to the other side of the bed, and ask him to read something. Daniel would then read a passage from Origin and follow up with some of Tulia's notes. Vala would agree that the notes didn't make much sense compared to the passage and then tuck herself in under the quilt.

"Well, goodnight, darling," she would always say with too-sugary sweetness.

"Good night, dear," he would answer, still concentrating on the book.

* * *

After three weeks Vala just couldn't take the guilt anymore. That and Kira had caught her doing twice as much laundry as her.

"Daniel, you really need to start sleeping in this bed with me."

"I'm comfortable here, thank you," he replied just as he always did.

"No, you don't understand. Kira's starting to suspect something. Well, she was until I set her straight."

Daniel looked up from his book, his worried expression quickly becoming angry. "What did you say to her?"

Vala suddenly became nervous. "You have to understand, she noticed me washing twice as many sheets as her."

"Vala." Daniel took a deep breath. "What. Did. You. Say?"

"I told her that we sometimes…were vigorous…in bed."

"VALA!"

"Shh, don't shout. For god's sake, Daniel. Besides, it makes sense. If we're getting the sheets all sweaty I have to change them more often and then wash twice as many on linens day. It also explains what Ber's been noticing."

"You've been talking to Ber about us?"

"No, of course not! But Kira told me that Ber has noticed you rubbing your neck and shoulders and stretching your lower back frequently. He thinks it's because you're unaccustomed to the work."

"That's because I am!"

"Yes, but I imagine sleeping on the floor is contributing to the soreness. And my little fib explains that too. Our being…vigorous…would explain your need to stretch out your kinks."

"We hardly make any noise at night. How could we be 'vigorous' in bed without making noise, hmm?"

"Honestly, Daniel. A couple making a little bit of rough love does not necessarily mean they're screamers. As a matter of fact, trying to be as quiet as possible can sometimes result in a sweatier than usual encounter."

A vein was clearly throbbing on Daniel's forehead above his eyes and Vala feared his ensuing outburst would bring the roof down upon them. He really looked like he was about to explode.

"Listen, Daniel, take emotion out of the picture for just one second. I suppose I should have laid out my reasons more logically, but you really have to sleep here in this bed. If for no other reason than to keep you from being so cranky and…"

He slammed his book on the floor. "I'm not cranky."

"…and because I feel guilty about getting us into this mess."

After a long pause his glare softened as he tried to process what she'd said. "Go to sleep," he said quietly.

"Daniel…"

"I'll think about it. Now go to sleep," he said and blew out the candle.

* * *

He was leaning over her and kissing her. Sweetly, gently. Full of love and reined in passion. Vala pulled Daniel close by the collar and kissed him back. She bit his lower lip and tugged at it to open his mouth to her. She thrust her tongue inside and dueled artfully with him.

Daniel skimmed his hands over her bare arms as he knelt over her on the bed. Small shivers ran under her skin wherever he touched her. If this was a dream she never wanted to wake up.

Releasing his mouth for a quick breath, Vala felt Daniel trace her jaw and neck with kisses. He found a spot just beneath her earlobe which when kissed caused her insides to melt and a purr to escape her throat. All of a sudden she needed to touch his skin as if it was a necessary requirement for life, as necessary as breathing. She quickly unbuttoned his blue Air Force-issued shirt and wound her hands under his black T-shirt, pulling it off over his head.

He was hot to the touch, perspiration beading up on his skin. He wanted her, she could tell for sure now.

She leaned away from him and smiled seductively. "So, not so repulsive?"

"You could never repulse me, Vala," he whispered as he trailed kisses along the bottom fringe of her pink tank top, tantalizing close to her navel. "Vala, can you reach the lamp to turn it off?"

"Of course, darling." She rolled over and reached…

"Ow, Vala, you hit me."

"What?" She woke up startled. She was lying on her side and it was dark, as it should be because she'd wanted to turn the light off, yet her hand was being shoved from Daniel's face. She focused intently on him. "What are you doing here?"

"You told me I had to sleep in the bed. I didn't realize you punched the people you slept with or I would have reconsidered."

_Damn dream._ She sighed, gathering her defenses and the quilt around her. "Well, I don't generally. A slap every once in a while if the mood is right."

"Vala—"

"But I'm not really in the mood at the moment." She rolled over and turned her back on Daniel.

"Just watch your elbows, okay? They're pointy."

After a moment she asked softly, "Daniel, why…"

"Just…go to sleep."

She took the cue. This wasn't the time. "Yes, darling." She smiled to herself. _But easier said than done, now._

* * *

There was possibly no louder sound than the owls or crickets outside their bedroom window. Perhaps his heartbeat or the sound of Vala's breathing was louder, but just barely.

When had his universe tilted on its axis? When had he stopped being the rational one in a crisis and Vala become the voice of reason? Ultimately, that's what had finally motivated him to get into bed with her. He couldn't deny the logic behind her arguments. And it wasn't as if he'd have to ward off her advances. It had been three weeks and she'd really kept her teasing and innuendos to a minimum. This could work. There wasn't any reason why this couldn't work.

The logic got him into the bed, but her small confession was what kept him from falling asleep.

"Are you awake?" Daniel whispered into the night.

"Does prostration last for six hours?" came the quiet reply.

Daniel rolled over on his side to face her. "Well, at least it's only once a week."

Vala rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. "At least… _only_ …is that supposed to be a joke?"

"Not funny, huh?"

She rolled over to face him. "No, not really."

"It's not your fault, you know. Our being stuck here."

"I know." Vala ducked her head from Daniel's gaze. "But I still feel guilty," she rolled her eyes slightly, "every great once in a while."

"I hate to admit it but your plan to destroy the Ori supergate was brilliant. None of us could think of anything else."

Her sarcasm didn't hold up. "Sam would've thought of something and we don't really know if it was destroyed or not," she said dismally.

"Hey, you okay? This really isn't like you." He fought the urge to brush his hand over her cheek.

"I don't know. I'm just feeling rather stuck…and trapped…and helpless." She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't like feeling this way."

"We'll get out of this." Daniel rolled over on his back. "It's not as bad as it could be."

"Maybe," she mumbled, "maybe not."

"Hmm?"

"Nothing."

Daniel turned his head to face her. "It's not your fault." Vala met his gaze and held it. "And believe me, we'll get out of this."

She didn't say anything for a while, just held his gaze as if searching for something, like hope maybe. Finally she nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He turned his head toward the ceiling again and closed his eyes, welcoming a comfortable sleep. "Good night, Vala."

"Good night, Daniel."

* * *

Some weeks later a prior came to Ver Isca to lead the village in prostration. He was short and bald and a horrible scar covered his right eye. As the worshippers got up to leave the courtyard, Vala got the sense that the prior was looking for her among the crowd, that he was watching her. She quickly took Daniel's arm as if his proximity would protect her, and they walked toward Seevis's tavern where they usually ate their midday meal.

"Ber, I think I'd like to go home now. I haven't picked the herbs yet for supper tonight."

"I'll come help you, Kira," Vala offered. "I don't feel much like staying in the village today."

"That's quite all right, dear," Kira replied. "You stay here and rest. You look so exhausted with those deep circles under your eyes. Young man, see if you can get your wife to eat something more than bread." She patted Daniel's arm as Ber reached for her other hand and led her on the path back to their cottage.

"That was…peculiar." Vala watched them leave then glanced around for any sign of the prior. "Let's go inside, Daniel. I'm hungry."

Denya saw them arrive and brought over bowls of soup. Vala invited her to sit down with them and cautiously asked about the change in the day's service.

"Apparently the magistrate was told that another village in the area was in need of his services and the prior was sent to fill in the void here." She hesitated before continuing, "He's actually led us before."

"Really? When was that?" Daniel asked.

"Well. Back when…while Tulia was alive."

Vala choked slightly. "Can you tell us what happened?" she asked quietly. "It's just that I don't want to upset Ber and Kira by asking them."

"Well, you probably ought to know, since you're still living with them. Tulia was deemed an unbeliever and…and the prior ordered her cleansing in the altar fires. That was ten years ago; she was only seventeen years old."

Vala felt cold and faint. "Daniel, I…" but she couldn't hold her nausea in. She rushed out the back door into the alley and heaved the contents of her stomach onto the ground.

"Vala, are you all right?" Both Denya and Daniel had followed her out. Denya was holding her hair to the side and rubbing circles over her back as Vala continued to vomit. "Stay here with her, Daniel, I'll get some water."

Once Denya had left, Daniel resumed rubbing Vala's back and whispered to her, "It's okay, you're okay."

"They killed her. I thought she'd been sick or died in an accident. She was just a girl, and they murdered her."

"Shh now, Denya's coming back."

"Here you go, drink this slowly."

Vala sipped the water then passed it back to Denya, but she couldn't bring herself to speak. She just knew she would start accusing the villagers of murder. Fortunately, Daniel seemed to read her inner struggles.

"I should get her home, Denya. Please excuse us."

"Of course. Ask Kira if she has any gingerroot. Just mix some in your tea, Vala, and it should help with the nausea," Denya advised. She helped Vala to stand up straighter and looked her in the eyes. "I'm sorry for upsetting you."

"It's not that," Vala replied carefully with half a smile. "I've been feeling poorly all day. It all crept up on me just now. I'll be fine."

The pretty blonde paused as if considering Vala's words. She said finally, "All right. Take care."

Vala nodded as Daniel wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her out of the alley and up the path to the cottage.

* * *

Vala's reaction to Tulia's death seemed severe, but apparently she hadn't expected the tragedy of it. She'd thought it had been an accident or an illness. Walking with her up the path to the cottage, Daniel noticed that her hands were like ice. The only other time he'd felt her like that was when she'd been brought back to life in Ver Eger. He remembered it because he'd expected her to be warm, but in fact her hands and face were cold. At the time he'd reasoned that the experience was causing her system to recover from shock. Most likely the same things were happening now.

Once they were far enough from the village, Vala put sound to her thoughts. "I want to hit something."

"I know." She'd probably go after the prior with his berretta if she thought it would do any good.

"I want to go back. I don't want to be here anymore."

"I know." This place was suffocating them.

Vala wrestled her arm away from him and began pacing back and forth on the path. "If I hadn't tried to be a hero, we wouldn't be here. If I hadn't—"

"Stop. Just stop." Daniel led her over to a large flat rock and sat her down. Crouching in front of her, he met her gaze. He was acutely reminded of their mission to P8X-412 and how she'd expressed her guilt for the illness spreading among the villagers, how she'd equated her arrival with their plague. He had tried to make her see that it wasn't her fault, that the villagers would still have been forced to choose between Origin and the illness, but apparently his words hadn't sunk in.

"Repeat after me: 'It's not my fault.'"

"Daniel."

"Say it."

She turned her head away from him. "It's not my fault."

What would it take to get her to believe that? And why did it matter so much to him that she did? He took her chin and turned her back to face him. "Someday I'll make you say it and _mean_ it."

Then she cried. She cried the tears she couldn't cry in front of Denya or risk giving them away. She covered her face in her hands and Daniel knelt forward and held her close, not knowing what else to say or do.

Her behavior of late was changing. With Ber and Kira she remained happy and vivacious. But around him, when they were alone, she was so much more subdued, depressed even at times. Vala had expressed her guilt on more than one occasion now, and Daniel had no idea how to handle it except to try to convince her that their predicament wasn't her fault. He'd become so accustomed to fending off her sarcastic teasing that he felt more than a little off-balance around this more emotional side of Vala.

After a minute or two, she stopped crying and stood up. She brushed off her dress and made some flippant apology for getting his shirt wet. Daniel simply smiled at her and said he'd add it to the laundry pile that night. Then he took her arm and tucked it in his as they continued back to the house.

"Did you notice that Seevis wasn't in the bar just now?" Vala asked.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, I don't recall seeing him after prostration either."

"I've got a bad feeling about him and this prior. I wonder…I wonder if Seevis is some sort of spy for him. Bullying the villagers, making them feel guilty about how they live their lives, reminding them of their need for prostration. It's as if he's trying to get in the prior's good books."

"It's a thought I guess. But don't you think you're being a bit paranoid. It's probably just the stuff about Tulia making you suspicious."

"No, I had a bad feeling about the prior before I knew about Tulia. And I've felt the same about Seevis since we met him. Something's just not right."

"I think it's best just to relax. You're still very pale and Kira will want to know what happened."

Vala took a deep breath. "I hate this place."

"I know. Put on a good show and I may even give you a kiss." His eyes smiled at her and in that brief moment she could probably see how much he cared.

She teased him because she simply couldn't resist. "On the mouth?"

"Don't push it."


	6. Chapter 6

Over the next few days they'd discovered quite a number of interesting facts. One, Celestis _was_ on this planet, and two, there was an annual village pilgrimage to the city occurring within two weeks. Daniel and Vala used every spare minute they had to plan their escape.

They only needed to bring their weapons, radios and Daniel's IDC, but they really didn't want to leave anything behind for fear of getting Ber and Kira in trouble for harboring them if they were found out. They did learn that some villagers brought offerings on the pilgrimage, so they felt reasonably sure they could bring their sacks of clothing and equipment without arousing suspicion. But just to be safe, Vala began sewing pockets into their clothes to conceal the IDC and radios. She also managed to cut an inconspicuous slit in the folds of her dress where she could reach the zat strapped to her thigh.

The night before the pilgrimage, having planned as much as they could, Daniel and Vala tried to sleep. Though for whatever reason, Vala kept tossing and turning on her side of the bed, not falling asleep and thereby keeping Daniel awake as well.

"Forgive me, Daniel," she said eventually.

"For wh—" and then in one fluid motion she had shucked off her nightgown, thrown back the covers and essentially mounted him, one perfect porcelain thigh on either side of his legs and her beautiful full lips literally kissing the words from his mouth. He sat up immediately, with her still straddling his hips. "What the hell, Vala! What are you doing?"

"Just give in, Daniel," she pleaded, her hands grasping at the hem of his shirt to pull it off, her lips fastening themselves to his mouth once more. "We could die tomorrow."

_She has a point, Dannyboy._

Great, now his conscience was starting to sound like Jack, and was that Vala's _tongue_? He had to put a stop to this…soon…maybe just one more kiss… _No!_ He shook his head to clear the fog.

"Stop it, we're not gonna die." He held her arms in place at her sides so she couldn't reach under his shirt anymore. "Nobody's gonna die. Everything will be fine. Vala!" He risked a weak shout when her hands tore his shirt open, buttons popping off everywhere.

She spread the halves of his shirt wide and bent her head to kiss him once again, this time nuzzling his neck and collarbone, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses down his chest. "I swear I won't tell a soul, Daniel. None of your friends back home will know you gave in. Please, just do this for me. Be with me," she begged. "Please, Daniel."

"Vala, get a grip! What's wrong with you?" He firmly pushed her body away but she resisted and let her head fall on his shoulder. He could hear her choking back sobs.

"Every time I close my eyes," she confessed, "I see those altar flames licking at me."

Amidst the frenzy in his head and his heavy breathing, Daniel registered what she was saying. Suddenly it all clicked. "Hey, there. Ssh," he tried to calm her.

Her whole body started shaking in sobs, so Daniel let go of his death-grip on her arms and let her cling to him. His heart nearly seized from the sensation of her bare breasts pressed against his chest. But Vala's arms were wrapped so tight around his back and shoulders, he didn't think he'd be able to get her to let go.

He tried to dismiss the feeling and focus solely on Vala's fears. "Nothing's gonna happen tomorrow," he soothed. "We'll be fine. We find the gate, dial home and we're outta there."

"Oh, we are so dead," she scoffed through her tears, but some of the shaking seemed to lessen. "That's the worst plan I've ever heard."

"Part of it was yours, you know." He didn't quite think she was mocking him, so he just continued to rub her back and smooth her hair.

She sniffed back a few final tears. "I know, and I'm truly baffled by my stupidity."

"Okay, I'll admit, there might be a few flaws."

"A few?"

"Okay, more than a few. But what choice do we have?" he asked softly.

"None," she admitted. "Oh, I so don't want to die tomorrow. Please, do something, Daniel. Tell me a story, recite the Tau'ri alphabet, count to a hundred in Ancient…something, _anything_ to distract me and help me sleep."

_Well that's odd._ Obviously sex was her default method of distraction. Note exhibit A: her lithe naked body still sitting astride his and wrapped around him like a warm winter coat. And yet, rather than force the situation with more kisses or fondling or tearing of clothes, she was giving him the choice. And what was even odder—more odd, whatever—why the hell was he even thinking of submitting to her anyway?

"Daniel?"

"I…uh…okay, A, B, C…" he started with the alphabet because he honestly thought he was losing his mind.

"Still awake," she sighed against his neck when he reached the end of the alphabet.

He nodded and began counting in Ancient. At the same time, he lay back on the bed, pulling her down with him and settling her comfortably against his side. Sure she'd probably felt his hard-on earlier, and they were both practically naked from the waist up, but he silently begged her not to tease him. As he counted out loud, he noted with gratefulness that her hand never strayed from where he held it over his heart.

"How was that?" he whispered when he got to five hundred, hoping that the even sound of her breathing meant she might be asleep.

"Your voice is soothing," she murmured back, inhaling and exhaling slowly, her breath slightly tickling the few hairs on his chest. "Thank you, Daniel."

"You're welcome, Vala." And against his better judgment, he kissed her forehead and prayed it wouldn't startle her into her default mode.

Some benevolent god must've heard him because she didn't stir, but merely fell asleep wrapped in his arms.

* * *

The next day they found themselves as close to home as they'd ever been since arriving in this galaxy. And Vala had a queasy, uneasy feeling from the word 'go.' They'd ringed from the village to the plains of Celestis; they'd trekked to the city with the other villagers. They'd joined the rest of the pilgrims in a short tour of the city that would end in prostration in the main hall. They'd lagged behind everyone else for quite a while before losing them completely and venturing out to explore the temple.

It was utter madness, Vala had thought, as they wandered around looking for the stargate. But it was almost as if Daniel was magically drawn to it because they'd soon found their elusive way home. Then again, they still needed to figure out how to dial it. And unfortunately, there didn't seem to be a DHD.

"Dang," Daniel muttered. "It was going so well, too." He started searching the walls of the room for any panels or devices. Vala decided to keep watch by the doorway because she felt reasonably sure they were going to be caught, and soon.

She heard footsteps a few minutes later as Daniel was examining a panel near the gate and she ran through various stories and other delaying tactics in her vast experience. Generally, making out with a fellow conspirator was enough to embarrass a passerby and get them to simply dismiss her and her companion. Why that thought had popped into her head, she had no idea, because it was obviously _not_ going to work in a religious setting. Instead, she rushed over to Daniel, dragged him to the middle of the room and knelt in front of the stargate as if in prayer.

"Hallowed are the Ori," she intoned just as a monk stepped into the doorway. "Blessed are those who follow the Path."

"What are you doing here?" the monk commanded.

"We came upon the great ring of the gods and were inspired with devotion." Vala cowered, and they both bowed their heads to the man.

"Pilgrims are not permitted in this room," the monk stated forcefully. "Why are you not with your fellow villagers?"

"My wife needed a short rest—" Daniel started, lifting his head only a little.

"The long trek across the plains, you understand," Vala finished.

Daniel continued, "We tried to catch up to the rest, but we took wrong turns and became lost. Forgive us." Daniel bowed again.

"Follow me," the man ordered and proceeded to guide them to the rest of the pilgrims in the main hall.

A wonderful six-hour session of prostration followed, and Vala practically itched to leave the place. Every minute was pure torture, for she just knew any second they'd be caught and burned.

Afterwards, a small meal was provided and then the pilgrims were led out of the city and they made their way back to the rings. Upon returning to the village, she, Daniel, Ber and Kira walked back to their cottage. It had been a long day and Vala prayed to any god worthy of worship that she could just go to bed and forget this day ever happened.

Perhaps someone heard her plea because both Ber and Kira also appeared to be nodding off as they got home. They all ate a cold meal of bread and fruits and retired early.

When she and Daniel were settled in bed, Vala hesitated only a moment before curling up against Daniel's side. "I'm sorry, I really am, but I cannot ever, _ever_ go back to that place."

"Yeah, that was…a big mistake," Daniel admitted.

" _That_ is the understatement of a lifetime."

Daniel raised his arm and placed it around Vala's shoulder. "Need me to count to five hundred again?"

She tried laughing but it came out as a choked huff. She had no energy to seduce him, but she desperately needed another distraction. She shook her head at his offer. "Maybe five _thousand_ would do it." She felt Daniel's chest rise in a kind of half-laugh of his own. Vala was reasonably sure he was just as terrified as she was, but instead of being annoyed with her, he complied with her wishes and began to count. Around 285 his lovely voice had put her to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

_Lust. Look where it had gotten her._

Vala sat at the window in Ber and Kira's cottage and stared out at Daniel chopping wood in his shirtsleeves. _There should be an intergalactic rule that sweet, gentle, attractive men shouldn't be allowed outdoors alone._ It was for their own protection as well as the safety of every unsuspecting, attractive female space-pirate to cross their path. Not that she ever put much stock in following the rules.

"Let this be a lesson to you, baby," she whispered as she rubbed her stomach, "don't go chasing after handsome men, or beautiful women on the other hand, with the idea of a satisfying treasure hunt in mind. You'll find yourself whisked off to an unfriendly galaxy populated with people who would burn you as sure as you were standing there.

"Also, it may not always be wise to mess around with technology you don't completely understand. It may lead you to that same unfriendly galaxy where you'll have to pretend to be married to said attractive man or woman. And believe me, baby, pretending is not as easy as it appears."

Vala leaned against the window frame and sighed. She was talking to her baby, her unborn child. She'd admitted it. She was pregnant.

She'd thought so for some time. It had been over ten weeks since they'd materialized in this galaxy and she'd missed every single period ever since her last a couple of weeks before they'd arrived. She didn't want to believe it but all the signs were there, and they were all _very_ obvious to Kira.

Because, again, Kira had spoken to Vala while they were washing linens a few days ago.

" _Child, I couldn't help but notice that…well, your sheets haven't been stained in the usual way since you came to live with us," she said delicately._

" _Well, I…" Vala stuttered, knowing exactly where the older woman's comments were leading._

" _There are other signs, too. You've become extremely tired since coming here, you only have bread and water at breakfast, and you've let out the seams at the tops of your dresses three times now. Shall I continue?"_

" _I wasn't sure…I didn't want to say anything," Vala tried to come up with anything to explain away Kira's observations, but nothing came to mind. And if she was in fact pregnant, why lie to cover it up? The thing was, she couldn't be pregnant; it was impossible._

_She sat down and Kira came over to comfort her. "I know you're frightened, dear, but everything will be fine," she soothed. "Women have been having babies since…well, since creation, haven't they?" she laughed. "Have you told Daniel yet? I'm sure he'll be thrilled."_

Thrilled. That's a laugh. _"No, I haven't yet," she frowned. "I wanted to be sure."_

" _He'll notice soon enough, I imagine. I'm almost disappointed he hasn't yet. But men are men," she remarked wisely._

" _I'll tell him. But, would you not tell Ber yet?" Kira visibly winced so Vala continued quickly, "Or at least, ask him not to say anything around Daniel? I promise to do it, in a day or so."_

" _Yes, child, I'll tell him to keep it a secret."_

"I don't know if I can do this, baby," she whispered quietly to her belly and looked out the window at Daniel once more.

_With child. Lust. Look where it had gotten her._

She sighed then pushed away from the window frame. Time to get this over with.

"Ber, do you think I could borrow Daniel? I need to talk to him."

Ber looked up from the rocking chair he was fixing for Kira. "I'd been wondering when you would tell him. I thought that either he knew and was keeping quiet or that he didn't…and was keeping quiet." He gave her a quick wink in response.

"He's almost as quiet as you, Ber," Vala smiled back. "What do Kira and I see in you men?" She looked over at Daniel carrying wood into the barn. "This might take a while."

"Take your time, child."

Vala nodded and walked toward the barn.

"Daniel?"

"Hey," he wiped the sweat from his forehead and breathed heavily. "What's up?"

"Can we go for a walk? I already asked Ber if he could spare you for a bit."

"Um, yeah. Sure."

* * *

She led him into the forest along the trail toward the cave where they'd spent their first few nights on this planet. Vala became much too tired for them to make it even part of the way to the cave so they stopped and sat on a rock near the path. She didn't speak, just sat there playing with the folds of her apron. She was nervous about something, about telling him something in private away from Ber and Kira, but Daniel couldn't figure out what it was.

"What's wrong, Vala? Why are we out here?"

She sighed. "Because you're going to yell."

_That isn't a good start._ "You'd better tell me, then."

"I don't know how it happened. And maybe Kira and I are wrong, but I doubt it. I've never felt this way before."

"Well, not yelling yet."

"I think I'm pregnant."

"You think…"

"I'm pretty sure."

"…you're pregnant." He stood up and walked away from her, then rewound their last few months here in his mind. "This is why you told Kira about our _vigorous_ activities in bed. You knew you were pregnant when you told her that, and you wanted her to be sure that it was mine."

He paced back and forth in front of Vala, vocally testing his theories. "But why make up the stuff about us in bed? You'd already told her and Ber we were married." A light bulb lit inside him. "You knew at the beginning that you were pregnant, didn't you? That's why you had to make up the story we were married in the first place."

"Being pregnant or not had nothing to do with that story. It was the only logical way to avoid the appearance of impropriety between two adults alone in the woods. Besides I had no idea I was pregnant at the time."

Daniel scoffed. "Who was it?" His anger built up and he indeed started yelling. "Somebody on base? Never mind, I don't want to know. Was it after I threw you out of my room? Were you so desperate for sex you'd just sleep with anybody?"

"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" Vala shouted back. "That I had some kind of orgy with half the men at your little complex? Do you really think that little of me?"

"I hardly know you, Vala! This is unbelievable! How could you let this happen?"

"There's no use talking to you when you're like this." She threw her hands up in defeat. "I really wish this wasn't happening. And I really wish I didn't have to tell you. But Kira noticed, _again_ , and she'd expect me to tell you, so I did, okay? Just, calm down so we can go back. Put on your happy, I-love-my-wife face for Ber and Kira and I'll…I don't know, I'll try not to embarrass you too much."

Daniel let out an exasperated groan, "God, Vala. I feel so—"

"I know, I know," she interrupted him and rolled her eyes, "I make your life miserable. Can we just go back now?"

She started walking back to the cottage and Daniel stomped after her. "Don't walk away from me like that. Vala!"

"Forget it! I don't want to talk about it anymore."

* * *

"Are you smiling? They're probably watching from the window."

"Shut up," Daniel ground out through an obligatory smile.

"I can't believe how angry you are," Vala shot back through her own forced smile. "It's not like you have to carry the baby."

"Trouble just seems to follow you around, doesn't it? And I keep getting caught in the wake of it."

"How has my being pregnant changed our situation? We had to find some way back before I made this little announcement, and we still have to now. What's the difference?"

"Just, shut up. They're coming out."

"Oh, Daniel, are you not simply thrilled to become a father soon?" Kira grinned from ear to ear and wrapped him in a smothering hug.

"Let the boy breathe, Kira." Ber took one of Daniel's hands when she released him. "Congratulations, son. Well done."

"Thank you, sir," Daniel replied then he turned to Kira. "And how could I not be thrilled, Kira?" He grasped Vala around the waist. "This is one of the happiest days of my life, isn't it, dear?" It took him an instant to resign himself to the kiss he'd have to give her. Daniel bent his head and prayed Vala would hold to her promise not to embarrass him as he placed a five-second kiss on her lips.

Her smile never wavered. "Definitely the happiest, darling."

Kira cooed over the two of them as she ushered them into the cottage. She made Vala sit down and put her feet up while Daniel did everything for her. He fetched her tea and biscuits, and brought the mending to her so she didn't have to get up, as if she couldn't very well get any of these things on her own. He was even corralled into helping with dinner because there was no reason Vala should get up and haul water and firewood inside in her condition. The way they were all behaving, you'd think she was giving birth any day now.

After dinner they relaxed by the hearth and Kira shared stories about her own two children. Stories about how wonderful it was to have little ones scurrying about, playing in the yard, tracking mud into the house. Daniel's cheeks were beginning to burn from all the smiling he had to do. But it was all for show because he was absolutely furious with Vala.

A few minutes later the object of his fury gave out an exaggerated yawn.

"Oh, you poor dear, you should have said something," Kira apologized, bringing her hands to her face and shaking her head. "What in the world was I thinking keeping you up so late?"

"No, no, I'm fine, Kira," Vala assured her, but Kira would have none of it. She steered them both upstairs and practically ordered Vala to lie down and sleep.

When they were finally settled in their room and Ber had finally led away a smiling, teary-eyed Kira, Daniel let loose his frustration.

"You wanted to know how your being pregnant changed our situation? Well that's how." He pointed back toward the door. "Today was unbearable."

Vala was hurriedly getting out of her dress and throwing on her nightgown, ignoring him the whole time, but he wasn't going to let her dismissive actions stop him. "And this time, it _is_ all your fault. That endless lunch filled with congratulations and best wishes. Having to fake all the smiles and 'thank you's.' And then the rest of the day, with more smiling and winking and pinching cheeks. I swear, what _is_ it with elderly women pinching a man's cheeks?"

She was now sitting on the bed, facing away from him, spine straight as a rod. "Quit complaining, Daniel. You survived," she said evenly. "It's not like I enjoyed any of it either. Kira will calm down in a day or two. She's just happy for us."

Daniel rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, collapsing onto the other side of the bed with his head in his hands. When he spoke next he tried to remain calm. "How could you not know this could happen?"

Vala replied mockingly, "That I could become pregnant without having sex? I don't know, _I've_ never heard of that happening before, have _you_?"

"What?" He turned around to face her and watched her straighten her already stiff posture.

"Listen carefully, Daniel, because I'm only going to say this once. Despite what you think of me, I haven't slept with anyone since coming back into your life. I'm scared beyond belief and your anger and mistrust are not helping."

He stared at her, completely dumbfounded. "How?"

"I have absolutely no idea."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure," she answered, relaxing her posture a bit. "Besides the obvious, I _am_ tired all the time and nauseous."

"When did it start? These could be symptoms of something else. An allergy or maybe something happened to you in the rings? Some kind of radiation or something?"

"Believe me, I've thought of that." She looked down at her hands but continued to face away from him. "But you're not sick, are you? You're not tired all the time?"

"No."

"There are other signs." Vala cleared her throat. "My breasts are sort of…tender, and my belly is rounding…slightly."

"Oh…I hadn't noticed," he said softly.

"I didn't expect you to," she replied just as softly.

Daniel paused for a moment, debating what to say next. "What do you want to do?"

"What can I do?" Vala fiddled with the cuffs of her nightgown's sleeves. "It's not like this planet has a decent medical facility for me to…to get rid of it. And my guess is, even with this culture's knack for barbarism, they probably wouldn't approve of… But no one else knows, of course, just you, me, Ber and Kira. I just…I don't think I could do it, even if it was an option."

"Is there…is there anything I can do?"

"Besides getting us out of here?"

"Yeah," he smiled at her back, "besides that."

"No, I'll be fine. Kira will help me." Daniel watched Vala lie down on her side away from him and pull the covers up to her chin. "Good night, Daniel."

Daniel continued to stare at her back, then got up to change into a fresh night shirt and softer pants. He slid under the quilt, lying on his side facing her. "Good night, Vala."


	8. Chapter 8

The next few weeks passed without incident. No one in the house made any mention of Daniel and Vala moving out in the near future. It seemed only right that Ber and Kira keep caring for Vala during her pregnancy. Of course, Daniel and Vala made no effort to dissuade the older couple, so they all continued to live under the same roof as Vala's fourth month came to an end.

"Kira, Ber, are you home?" Vala could hear Denya knocking furiously from the other side of the front door.

"Come in, Denya," Vala called back as she stood up from the table where she'd been cleaning the vegetables for dinner. Denya walked in and came over quickly to help steady Vala.

"Still dizzy?"

"Mmmhmm," Vala nodded. "The nausea is gone for the most part, but standing up too fast leaves me light-headed."

"You should sit back down, then."

"No, I'm fine now. What's wrong? You needed to find Ber and Kira?"

"Yes, I've got a message for them from their son in Ver Obdur. His wife is ill and he's in need of some help around the house. He sent word with someone to tell his parents and ask for them."

"And you didn't see Kira outside in the garden? Maybe they're all in the barn."

They headed outside and found them all huddled around a small wooden piece of furniture.

"There you are," Denya exclaimed. "I've come with a message from Nic."

As Ber and Kira moved off to hear what Denya had to say, Vala couldn't help but stare at the crib at Daniel's feet, a small grin playing on her lips.

"Is everything all right?" Daniel said as he came up to Vala and put an arm around her waist.

"Hmm?" She tore her gaze up from the tiny baby bed and looked at Daniel as he tilted his head in the others' direction. "Oh, their son's wife is ill and he's asked for them to come and help, I think." Vala could tell Kira was agonizing over what to do.

"But we can't leave Vala, now," she said to Ber. "She needs us, too."

"I'm doing fine, Kira," said Vala, walking with Daniel towards the others. "You've taught me which herbs to take and my nausea is completely gone. And Daniel will be here to help me."

"I can help, too, Kira," Denya offered. "Vala won't be alone."

Daniel spoke up next, "You should go be with your son and his wife. It sounds like they need you more than we do."

"We should at least check in on the children, Kira."

She nodded to her husband. "Of course, we should go."

"Will you leave today, Ber?" Daniel asked. "How long will it take you to get there?"

Daniel and Ber spoke of plans and traveling concerns while Vala took Kira's hand and they walked into the house to make preparations. Denya went back to the village to tell the messenger he could leave and to inform Nic that his parents would be arriving the following day. It was a six-hour journey to Ver Obdur, but it wouldn't be safe to leave now as it was already after midday. Ber and Kira decided to pack and rest for the night, then leave early the next morning.

"We'll try to be back by the end of the week, two at the most." Ber shook Daniel's hand.

"Take your time. We can take care of things here," Daniel responded.

"You remember to take your herbs if you feel sick, dear, and let Daniel help you with the chores." Kira reached out to hug Vala tightly.

"I'll be fine, Kira," she smiled back. "Don't worry on my account. Go take care of your grandchildren."

* * *

_Well isn't this the picture of domesticity?_ Daniel thought as he walked into the cottage with a pail of milk to pour into bottles and saw Vala beating a mound of bread dough into submission with a pair of wooden spoons that could double for drumsticks. Her sleeves were rolled up and her face, hands, and arms were covered in flour. He had to work really hard to control the laughter bubbling up inside him.

"What did the dough do to _you_ , Vala?"

"Hmm? Oh, I'm just flattening it out for biscuits," she smiled.

He couldn't hide his smirk any longer. "That's probably what the rolling pin is for."

"Well, I can't find it at the moment, so I'm improvising."

_Improvising._ Like figuring out how to destroy the supergate, like coming up with an idea to keep them from getting burned to death, like living day in and day out with an unexpected and probably impossible pregnancy. His admiration for Vala was growing by the day. And as things stood, it was becoming much more difficult for him to sleep each night next to this strong, capable woman, especially when she looked so adorable with flour on her nose.

Clearing his throat, Daniel mumbled a 'goodbye' and an 'I'll leave you to it then,' and walked back outside to work off some tension that had suddenly built up in his body. Maybe he could come up with a way to ease his mind for the next few days and nights.

* * *

"Your meals aren't half bad," he grinned.

"Why thank you, Daniel," Vala smiled back cheerily.

"I was thinking," he set his fork down and steepled his fingers together, "I could sleep in Ber and Kira's room while they're gone, so you can have some more privacy."

Vala glanced up at him from her half-eaten plate, shocked. "If that's what you want." She quickly looked away as she wiped her mouth with her napkin. "You'll have to move back in when they come home, of course, and I'll have twice as much laundry to do with you sleeping in another bed. But if you want to sleep somewhere else that's fine with me."

"It's not that, Vala," he unfolded his hands and leaned back in his chair, regrouping. "I was just thinking out loud, that's all."

Standing up from the table too quickly, she closed her eyes to the dizziness. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "We've been sleeping in the same room for four months now. I'm quite used to your snoring and the way you stare at the wall while I change clothes. Modesty and privacy have never been much of a concern for me, but if you'd rather sleep in the other room, by all means, don't let me stop you." She gathered their dishes and took them into the kitchen, clearing the food away and washing the plates.

"What's with you?" she heard the irritation in his question. "I was just trying to be nice."

"By heaping extra chores on me and making me feel like a pariah," she seethed. "Thank you, darling. You're so sweet."

"Vala. You know that's not what I meant."

"Just…do whatever you want. I'm going to bed." She stomped off upstairs and slammed the door to their room.

* * *

Well, that hadn't gone as he'd planned. Vala had obviously misunderstood Daniel's suggestion to sleep elsewhere, that was the only explanation for her outburst. But what had he said wrong?

After she'd stormed out, he'd cleaned up the kitchen area more thoroughly, then sat down at the table to study Tulia's book again. But predictably, he couldn't concentrate so he put a few more logs on the fire and set a kettle of water over it to boil. He sat facing the hearth and replayed the night's events.

Apparently, suggesting he sleep somewhere else was a mistake, but why? It could have been a hormone thing, physical changes weren't the only thing to plague pregnant women.

Maybe Vala depended on him. He was the only other person from their galaxy, the only other sane person among dozens of religious zealots. Could his suggestion have been interpreted as a kind of rejection?

Daniel really did try to keep his feelings for her to himself, hell, he tried to keep them _from_ himself as well. But he did try to keep everything between them strictly friendly. Sure there'd been those two instances when they'd cuddled close at night, before and after going to Celestis, but that had been it.

Was the charade they acted in front of Ber, Kira, and the rest of the villagers messing with the way she saw him? He shook his head, that couldn't be it. In general their feelings were clear every night when they went to bed. Nothing had happened before Celestis, and nothing had happened in the months since. Everything remained as platonic as possible when they were alone, at least on his part.

But how did she feel?

Daniel finished making some tea and poured it into two cups. Vala was clearly upset when she'd left and whether or not she needed to be alone, Daniel realized he wouldn't be able to relax until he knew she was all right.

He hesitated a moment in front of their door before knocking a few times. Silence was the only response, so he knocked again a bit harder.

"Vala? Are you all right?"

After a moment he heard her firm reply. "Yes, Daniel."

Daniel exhaled and relaxed. Holding the cups together in one hand, he placed a hand on the doorknob and asked, "May I come in?"

"No," Vala replied quickly yet resolutely.

Feeling dejected, he infused patience in his voice as he tried again. "I made you some tea."

"Thank you."

_That's a start._ "May I bring it to you?"

"No," came her steadfast answer. "Goodnight, darling."

Daniel dropped his hand from the doorknob and took a step back from the door. _Too soon, apparently._ "Goodnight…Vala."

* * *

The next morning dawned bright and sunny and Vala hated every ray of sunshine. She felt cold inside for having lashed out irrationally at Daniel. There wasn't any reason for being upset with him, she'd just blown up. Sitting up slowly and taking a sip of water from the bedside table, she resolved to keep her emotions in check from now on. She got up out of bed and dressed, then made her way downstairs to start breakfast. Yet the sight in the kitchen caused her to stop dead in her tracks.

Daniel had fallen asleep on Tulia's copy of Origin at the kitchen table. It was almost too adorable for words and Vala felt warmth spread throughout her body. She moved over to the hearth, quietly stoked the fire, and set a kettle of water to boil.

When the tea was finished, she placed a cup near Daniel's nose and let the aroma gently wake him.

"Hmm, that smells good. Thank you." Daniel focused on the cup in front of him and took a sip, then sat up straighter and stretched his back.

"You really didn't have to sleep down here. You should have gone to Ber and Kira's room."

"I was comfortable," he yawned. "I missed sleeping at a desk."

"Liar."

After taking another large sip of tea, he asked, "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes," Vala nodded. "I'm sorry for shouting at you."

"What did I say?"

"Nothing. I just overreacted." She shrugged her shoulders. "It's probably hormones. I'll try to keep it under control."

"It's all right. I'll try to watch what I say."

"Don't worry about it." Vala paused and sipped her own cup of tea before asking, "Was sleeping down here worth it?" She pointed to the book. "Did you learn anything new?"

"I think Tulia was part of the resistance."

She nearly sprayed the table with a mouthful of tea because of Daniel's revelation. "You're joking! What makes you think that?"

"The notes in the margin that I said didn't make sense compared to the passages…I think they're written in code." He smiled as she pulled the book across the table closer to her. "When Denya told us she was killed, I started reading the notes more carefully. There's a faint symbol penciled in on some of the pages which looks very similar to Earth's stargate symbol."

"Representing Earth…where the Alterrans may have gone when they left this galaxy."

"I think so. It's taken me weeks, but I think her notes are her true feelings about the Ori. How she doesn't believe they are gods at all. That she's seen too many things that contradict their claims. She even writes about some artifacts that describe a contrasting civilization in this galaxy." He leafed through the pages and found a few examples.

"She had discovered evidence of the Alterrans?"

"Possibly, if I've deciphered this correctly."

Vala glanced at the book, then up at Daniel. "Does she leave any clues as to who else was in the resistance?"

"No," he shook his head, "she doesn't mention any names. Unless they're also hidden in the code, but I can't find anything."

"Well, what do we know about her?" Leaning back in her chair and bringing her cup to her mouth, Vala sipped the tea and wondered out loud. "She was friends with Denya. Could she be part of the resistance, too?"

Daniel leaned back as well. "Why work for Seevis, then? She could easily be found out."

"Perfect way to spy on the enemy. And a tavern is a great place to hear gossip. Maybe what happened to Tulia strengthened her resolve even."

Both Daniel and Vala sat silently for the next few minutes working out what they'd tried to piece together.

"Daniel? Do you recall Ber and Seevis talking when we first met Seevis all those months ago?"

"A little. Why?"

"I'm remembering something. It seemed odd at the time but I must have forgotten. I thought I heard Ber tell Seevis we were from Ver Alta. Did you tell Ber that?"

"No. Ber didn't really ask much while we worked that first day, and I didn't really say anything either." Daniel closed his eyes. "Are you sure he said 'Ver Alta'?"

"Yes, pretty sure," Vala replied.

"Strange." Daniel opened his eyes and pulled Tulia's book back over to his side of the table. "It could have been a coincidence, but why would Ber have said that?"

Vala leaned forward. "What is it, Daniel?"

"I think 'alta' is a root word for 'Alterran.' I just don't know why Ber would have referred to us in that way."

"Do you think he knew who we really are? Or at least that we're not from this galaxy?"

"If so, then why did he continue helping us, why did he maintain our cover story? They're followers of Origin. Why didn't they turn us in?"

"Because of what happened to Tulia, maybe?" Vala said. "They knew that unbelievers would be burned so they protected us. They're kind people, I doubt they'd be party to murder."

"Makes sense."

"Or. Could they be part of the resistance as well? Perhaps Tulia became a member because of her parents."

Daniel shook his head. "I can't see Ber or Kira sacrificing their daughter when she was caught."

"Maybe they weren't there. Maybe they couldn't save her."

"Yeah, but why tell Seevis we're from a village we're not? If it _is_ a real village, Seevis could easily check it out."

"It was a codeword then, to let Seevis know we could be trusted."

"So the bully barman is part of the underground Ori resistance, too? That seems a little farfetched."

"But like you said, Daniel, why else would Ber tell the obvious lie?"

"I don't know."

"All right, next question: how can we test this theory that they're all part of the resistance without giving away who we are?"

"I don't know that either."


	9. Chapter 9

After that one restless night sleeping at the kitchen table, Daniel went back to sleeping next to Vala in their room. It did make a certain kind of sense, since he had no wish to load her down with more chores. They quickly settled back into their daily routine after that, keeping the house clean and the farm tended.

Ber and Kira had been gone for two weeks now, still visiting with their son's family. They sent notes with messengers at least once a week to keep in touch with Daniel and Vala, and each time the younger couple wrote back assuring them that everything was fine.

One day just after lunch, Vala peeked into the barn while Daniel was working and informed him of her plans. "I'm going to take the eggs into the village, and I think I might stop in and visit Denya while I'm there."

As she turned to go, Daniel called after her, "Hey, wait up. I'll come with you."

"Don't worry, Daniel," she smiled. "I'll be fine. Besides, the animals won't feed themselves." She then waved goodbye to him and left, quick as the breeze.

* * *

A few hours later, Vala came home with quite a story to tell. "You know, we were right about Denya being a part of the resistance."

Daniel stared at her, shocked. "What happened?"

"We talked." Vala smiled, and Daniel could plainly tell that she'd figured something out and was bursting to tell him.

They prepared a simple meal and ate as Vala told Daniel about her conversation with Denya. "It took a long time to get her to admit it. She said she was afraid of Seevis and that he'd kill her if he found out."

"So, we're right about Denya, but wrong about Seevis. This still doesn't make any sense." Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose. "I still don't understand the part about Ber telling Seevis we were from Ver Alta."

"Well, I couldn't figure it _all_ out today," Vala defended herself. "But we're a lot closer to home now than before."

Daniel shook his head and leaned back in his chair, trying to relax. "Well, it was risky. But you're probably right."

"Oh!" Vala sat up suddenly. "I think the baby moved."

"What? Really?"

"I don't know," she looked down at her abdomen and smoothed her hands over her rounded belly. "It was the strangest feeling."

Daniel watched her, puzzled. "It seems about the right time from what I remember about pregnancy. You're in the middle of your fifth month, about 19 weeks, right?"

"I believe so. Oh, come here. Feel this."

"Um…Vala?" Daniel sat still as Vala reached for his hand to pull him around the table closer to her. "I just don't know… Whoa." She placed his hand on her stomach and pressed her own hand down on top of his so that he could better feel the baby kicking. It was an incredibly strange sensation. So many differing feelings were coursing through him that he couldn't immediately separate just one. Joy and awe at the touch of new life. Sadness and despair at knowing he could've had this experience with a woman he had cherished like no other. Confusion at the warmth he felt inside him while seeing Vala so apparently happy. And, perhaps most surprising, he felt attraction to the childlike delight he saw reflected in her eyes.

"So, you're excited about this now?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

In a show of embarrassment or modesty, Vala removed her hand from Daniel's and let him lift his hand from her abdomen. She shrugged her shoulders and looked away. "Well, being depressed about it wasn't changing things. And I suppose it might not be too terrible to have a little someone around to teach and…love." She sighed and looked down at her hands. "It's hard to explain." Wiping away a tear forming in her eye, she regained some composure. "Though I'd rather not raise a child here, if you catch my meaning."

"Right." Daniel stood up and took their dishes to the sink. They'd made some headway today. Well, she had. He hadn't really done much to get them home beyond studying Tulia's book for clues. Feeling more than a little dejected, he told her, "We should turn in. Prostration tomorrow."

Vala noticed his subtle shift in attitude. "You go on, I'll clean up a bit down here." She made a move to take the plates from him.

"I can take care of it," he said, not letting go of their dishes.

Meeting his eyes, Vala conceded. "We can do it together."

Daniel nodded. "Make some tea, then. Something to help you sleep."

"Okay."

* * *

"Hallowed are those who walk the path in unison," the prior prompted.

"Hallowed are the Ori," Daniel replied with the crowd as Vala drifted off and fell asleep against his shoulder. "Vala," he whispered, " _Vala._ "

"Hmm?" She lifted her head, whispering, "Sorry. So tired."

Daniel took her hand and squeezed it for support. "Just another half an hour."

Vala nodded and straightened up more fully. _Just another half an hour of the most mind-numbing, sleep-inducing rhetoric._

"Hallowed are the followers of the Ori."

The crowd replied to the pale, scarred prior, "Hallowed are the Ori." Yet before the villagers could disperse, the prior commanded their attention.

"Villagers of Ver Isca, I have an imperative announcement." Everyone stopped chatting and focused once again on the prior. "Evil dwells in the universe and it cannot be allowed to spread like weeds to choke the grain." Many of the villagers began murmuring to each other. Whispers floated on the air.

"Your strength and courage are required. The people reject the teachings of Origin and embrace evil." The prior's tone became harsh. "They are the enemy of the Ori. They would have us stray from the path!" The murmurs and whispers grew louder as the prior continued. "We must construct ships and send armies to combat this evil, these unbelievers that would threaten us and all life everywhere!"

At this the crowd cheered and shouted. "We will heed the will of the Ori."

"We will show the ignorant the path of Origin or they will die embracing evil!"

"Evil must not be allowed to fester anywhere!"

Vala and Daniel looked briefly at each other and backed slowly away from the crowd and into a darkened alley. They kept watch for a few minutes more then made their way back to the cottage.

They didn't dare speak on the way, but once they were back safely, Vala spoke up, "Well, if it wasn't urgent for us to get back before, it is now. Any bright ideas?"

Daniel paced around the cottage, thinking. "If they're building ships…"

"…then we didn't destroy the supergate," Vala finished.

"Or, they built a new one," Daniel amended. "Whatever the case, there's at least one operational." He continued to pace back and forth.

"Maybe…" Vala offered, ever so quietly.

Daniel raised an eyebrow up at her, meeting her spirited gaze. "Does the little space-pirate want to hijack a ship?"

* * *

The next morning, Vala answered the knock at the front door and was taken aback slightly at seeing the one-eyed prior on her doorstep. "Hallowed are the followers of the Ori."

Vala swallowed the lump in her throat. "Hallowed are the Ori."

Smiling rather malevolently, the prior inquired, "Your husband has been conscripted for duty and yet he did not join the others after prostration yesterday."

Praying that she'd learned her craft as a liar and con-artist well enough to fool the prior, she replied, "We are tending this farm for the couple who lives here. My husband cannot leave until their return."

"Are you not capable of tending the farm while your husband is doing the work of the Ori? Many of the women of the village are working together to take care of their homes while their husbands are away."

Vala was a breath away from responding when Daniel called from the barn, "Vala."

He walked up the path through the garden and passed by the prior to put a protective arm around Vala. "My wife is with child and I would not risk her health or that of the baby by leaving her alone with such work. I will do my duty to the Ori by protecting my family until Ber and Kira's return when they can care for my wife while I am away."

Vala acknowledged Daniel's claim by raising one hand and circling her belly.

"I see," the prior watched their exchange closely. "Very well. We shall expect you at the construction grounds upon their return."

Daniel nodded stiffly, "I will come. Hallowed are the Ori."

"Hallowed are the Ori," the prior repeated, then left in the opposite direction of the village, following the road to one of the neighboring villages.

From inside the house Daniel and Vala argued the merits of the small seed of a plan forming. In the end, Daniel decided he needed to see the ships for himself and that he would follow the men of the village the next day. Discreetly, he would see if he could discover anything about the Ori's crusaders.

Vala didn't want him to go off by himself; she all but insisted that he take the zat or the berretta with him, but Daniel would have none of it. He assured her that he'd be careful and just spy. Nothing adventurous, nothing heroic, he'd just gather information.

Daniel left shortly before dawn the next day. He crept slowly and quietly behind the men of Ver Isca marching to the shipyards some distance away, situated an equal distance from six other villages. He made his way up a hill and peered down at a sight that sent chills up and down his spine.

He hadn't expected to see much, since the men of Ver Isca had only been recruited a few days ago, but the shipyards were a buzz of activity. It wasn't a lie and it wasn't a threat. The Ori crusaders were building ships that would one day be sent to destroy the people of his galaxy. He saw huge motherships and smaller two-man fighters and literally thousands of men training in combat. Fear, as Daniel had never felt it before, churned in his stomach. This was an enemy too great to defeat. How could they possibly defend themselves let alone strike back with what little they had?

There was little point to staying on the hilltop. The risk of discovery was great, and besides, he'd need to be a lot closer to inspect the ships to see if any were space-worthy yet, if any were capable of getting them home. He crept away from the ledge of the cliff and made his way back to Vala. Somehow he'd have to convince her to let him go with the other men to the shipyards.

To say she didn't like the idea of him going off on his own was an understatement. Without Ber and Kira home, the two of them were able to voice their opinions however they wished, and usually that meant pacing around the house (Daniel), shouting (Daniel and Vala both), or throwing a pillow every once in a while (Vala when Daniel said he wouldn't take a weapon).

She did try to be calm one evening. She tried to explain that she simply had a bad feeling about them being separated. Daniel had tried to reassure her, also as calmly as possible. They really needed to find out more about the Ori crusade and the best way was to have the men lead him right to the ships.

Vala took a deep breath and tried once more to put forth her plan of sneaking back to the shipyards at night. They could gather as much information as they wanted without thousands of pairs of eyes on them. And more importantly, they could watch each other's backs.

Daniel was adamant though. There would likely be guards at night, and if they were caught, it would be much harder to convince those guards that they weren't doing anything suspicious. He refrained from repeating once again that he didn't want to see her get hurt. That statement always sent her off in a flurry of heavy Goa'uld curses.

Three days later the decision was essentially taken from them. The prior arrived at their cottage early one morning with Denya in tow.

"Prior," Vala acknowledged the scarred man. "Hallowed are the Ori."

"Hallowed are those who walk the Path," the prior replied. "The couple who lives here has not yet returned?"

Daniel approached from the stairwell and joined her at the door. "No, prior, they have not."

"I see. Very well, I have brought Denya to assist you, my child, so that your husband can accompany the other men to the shipyards."

Both Vala and Daniel looked quickly to Denya, who seemed to shake her head slightly. Clearly, it would be a bad idea to thwart the prior again. Daniel was the first to reply. "Thank you, prior, for providing help. We did not think to ask Denya as she has duties of her own in the village. But if she is willing to help Vala, how can I refuse?" Daniel bowed in thanks, then squeezed Vala's hand at his side. "The Ori have answered our prayers. You shall not be alone while I serve them."

Vala nodded and returned the pressure of his hand with her own. Then he was gone, following the prior toward a long line of other men from the village, all marching toward the shipyards.

* * *

Denya stayed until midafternoon. With most of the men gone, there was very little to do at the tavern, and Vala knew many of the village women ignored the pretty blonde for the most part. And _ignored_ was a polite way of putting it.

Having Denya around was nice. They worked together around the house, but they also took nice long breaks and never felt guilty about it. The other village women would most definitely frown upon their 'idle hands.'

Daniel returned just as the sun was setting. He stumbled through the front door and practically collapsed in his chair at the kitchen table, laying his head down with a thump.

"Daniel? Are you hurt?" Vala came up to him with a cup of water and held a damp cloth to his forehead to wipe away the sweat.

"Just exhausted. I'll be fine." He drank the water then lay back down on the table.

Vala went to the stove and made him a dinner plate. "I've got water warming outside for your bath. Eat this in the meantime. I'll pour the water into the tub and get a few more buckets of hot water started."

"It's okay." He started to push himself up from the table. "I can manage the water for you."

Vala shoved him back in the chair with all her considerable might. "You sit there and eat that and stop worrying about me, or…or…or I may just forget to put the water over the fire and you'll have a cold bath instead." She waited with her eyebrow raised for him to protest, but he simply picked up the fork and took a bite. Finally satisfied, she nodded and left to get his bath ready.

By the time she'd emptied the hot water into the tub and retrieved more water to be heated, Daniel had finished his dinner and emerged from the house.

"How much longer 'til the rest of the water is ready?"

"Five more minutes maybe." Vala got up from the stool she was sitting on and walked toward the kitchen. "I'll clean up the kitchen, you just rest a little longer." She guided him back inside and gently pushed him back in his chair. Then she washed their plates and the other cookware.

"Did you eat already?" Daniel asked.

"About an hour ago. How did it go today?"

"I was put on ship construction, mostly fetching sheet metal and welding. But I didn't keep up with everyone else. I think maybe I'll be put inside tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get to learn more that way."

Vala nodded as she finished the dishes. Then she rubbed her back a little and walked back outside to the bathhouse. Daniel followed her.

"Please let me do this," he said as he reached for the bucket of hot water. "You need to rest too."

"I do this every night for us," Vala protested not giving up the bucket. "It's not a big deal."

"But it's not usually a full bath," Daniel argued back, relinquishing the bucket and grabbing the other two. "Most of the time we just heat one or two buckets for a quick wash."

Vala squinted at his back, utterly confused. _Why did he insist on treating her like she couldn't take care of them?_ "You could use the bath, Daniel. You're sore and sweaty. This will feel good and you'll be able to rest comfortably tonight."

Daniel sighed his I'm-getting-frustrated-with-you sigh. "I'm not saying I don't want the bath, I'm saying I can take care of it so you can sit down and relax for a second or two.

"Oh." She finished pouring the hot water from her own bucket and set it next to the others near Daniel. "I suppose I am kind of beat right now."

"See," he took her by the shoulders and sat her down on the stool next to the tub, "just sit still for a minute." He peeled off his outer jacket then tested the water and winced a little. "It's still a little too hot." He looked over at the fires. "I'll let it cool while I douse those fires."

Vala sat still, an inner debate raging inside her head. Daniel hadn't asked her to leave yet, and whenever they washed up before, he always asked her to leave. No matter how exhausted he was, he never let her stay and help him.

She was still debating with herself about whether or not she should go inside when Daniel finished dousing the fires and was heading back to the tub. When he pulled off his shirt and sat down on a stool to take off his boots, she honestly had no idea what she was supposed to do.

"Do you want me to go inside?" she finally asked.

"Uh, actually…" Daniel started. "I think it might be better if you stayed." He looked up at her and must've noticed her smile because he instantly blushed. "It's just that I'm afraid I'll fall asleep in the tub." He stood up then and unfastened his pants, drawing them down and off, all the while leaving his underwear firmly in place.

_As stripteases go it wasn't all that bad,_ Vala laughed to herself. Daniel eased himself into the bathtub and Vala took the opportunity to gather soap and washcloths for him.

"Well, even though I'm only here to keep you from getting all pruny, I think I'll indulge in a little fantasy of mine."

"Huh?" Daniel opened his eyes and looked at her through his steam-covered glasses.

Vala chuckled at the sight. "Oh relax. Not that kind of fantasy." She splashed a little water in his face. "Just sit up so I can wash your back."

"Oh," Daniel complied and sat up. "I knew that."

"Sure you did," Vala teased as she lathered up a washcloth and drew it across his shoulders and down his back. He bent his head as the warm water eased his muscles. She rubbed the soapy cloth along the back of his neck then, and once more up and down his back. She rinsed the cloth in the water and drew it once more over his neck, shoulders and back, rinsing all the soap from him.

Then, with only a little hesitation, she put her hands on his shoulders and massaged the muscles. He winced slightly, but didn't ask her to stop. She almost thought he was holding his breath at one point as she continued to kneed and rub the knots that had formed in his upper back. She pressed her thumbs on either side of his neck, rolling tired muscles in circles. She gripped his shoulders where they met his neck, finding the sore muscles with her fingers and massaging firmly. She found a knot in his upper back and pressed the knuckles of her right hand into it, eliciting a contented groan from Daniel. She spent a few minutes on that knot until she felt reasonably sure it had loosened up. Finally, she took the washcloth once more and poured warm water on Daniel's head, massaging it too and intending to wash his hair until she felt Daniel grab her wrist.

"Go inside now, please."

"But you asked me to stay. You said you were going to fall asleep." Vala was beginning to feel a little cheated, but this was way more than she ever could've asked for.

"I can finish on my own," Daniel replied, letting go of her wrist and gripping the sides of the tub with both hands. "And I promise not to fall asleep, just please, go inside now," he repeated.

Vala stood up and went inside the house. She knew she'd gone too far with the massage, but at least he'd let her help him. That's all she really could ask of him, that he treat her like an equal.

She went upstairs to get some of his nightclothes, but decided to stay in the kitchen just in case he did fall asleep out in the bathhouse. Not that it seemed very likely, considering his condition. Maybe one day he'd let her help him with that, too, _just maybe._

A little while later he came in wrapped in a rough towel. She pointed out his clean clothes on the table then went upstairs, any thought of teasing him far from her mind. This wasn't a good day for teasing.


	10. Chapter 10

Denya returned the following morning just as Daniel left with the rest of the men for the shipyards. Vala certainly didn't like that she and Daniel would be separated for another day, but she'd finally agreed that it was their best shot at getting home.

She and Denya were sorting herbs for drying when Vala heard an angry knock on the front door once again. But instead of meeting the scarred, one-eyed prior from yesterday morning, Seevis and two large farmhands stared back at her. Seevis's hand quickly lashed out and grabbed her hair behind her neck. Then one of the other bullies restrained Denya who was screaming at the top of her lungs. The last man gathered Vala up in his arms as she kicked and fought to be released. _Who would ever believe that it took three grown men to kidnap a pregnant woman?_

Her worst fears were realized as she was carried to the village and dropped into the center of the courtyard altar. She was forced to sit on the stone bench and chained at the wrists just like before.

Seevis grabbed at her hair again and forced her head back. "Who else in the village has been corrupted?"

"Apart from you, I have no idea what you're talking about."

He released her and she prepared for the worst. Yet mercifully, the fires were not lit. Seevis commanded the village, "No one shall look upon, speak to, or aid such evil." To Vala, he threatened, "You will tell me who you've conspired with and the unbelievers will be found out and punished for their sins." He finished with the customary benediction, "Hallowed are the Ori."

The crowds murmured their assent and dispersed, leaving Vala alone in the center of the altar. She shook her head at her own stupidity for thinking she had friends among some of these villagers. Women whom Kira had introduced to her and were happy to help her with child-rearing advice and stories of their own pregnancies. Men whom Ber and Daniel had helped by repairing broken pumps or leaky roofs. Now no one dared to meet her eyes and she refused to appear helpless in front of them.

Vala took comfort in two facts. First, apparently Seevis would not be murdering her any time soon, and second, she would only have to endure her discomfort for a day, since Daniel would surely come for her when he arrived home and found she wasn't there.

As sure as she was about anything else, she was sure about those two things. And that hope gave her strength.

* * *

Just as Daniel hoped, he was moved inside the ships and instructed to work on calibrating computers. He hadn't expected to be left alone though. There was another man working with him, but he seemed to be a little like a manager or foreman, as he was always coming and going, solving various problems.

Considering that he couldn't count on how long he'd be left alone, Daniel really should've concentrated on his work instead of sifting through the Ori computers. He just couldn't help himself though when he came across a report on total numbers of ships and troops. He took one of the data devices and started to download specs.

A movement out of the corner of his eye was the only warning he got before a fist collided with his jaw and a screaming pain in his side forced him down to the ground.

"Spy," a man's voice accused. He kicked at Daniel's stomach. "Who sent you?" The man kicked again. "Why are you here?" He pulled Daniel up by his coat and punched. "Answer me."

Daniel blocked the next punch with his forearm, but what his attacker lacked in agility he made up for in strength of conviction. His next punch landed and knocked Daniel unconscious. _Not again._

* * *

The beatings continued for two days. Daniel was bruised and bloodied. He might even be sporting a black eye. His hands were tied behind him and his ankles were bound as he sat in the middle of a dirty cell. He hadn't been fed or given any water. He'd slept only when he slipped into unconsciousness when the beatings got really bad.

Daniel lifted his head gingerly and looked over his surroundings for the umpteenth time. Three of the walls were made of rough stone, the other was open to the hallway except for the floor to ceiling iron bars. As prisons went, this one was actually pretty normal in his experience.

As was his custom while he was awake, Daniel worried for Vala. Worried that in his absence she'd do something stupid to try to help him. Worried that she'd give herself away if she tried to rescue him. Worried that every day he was stuck here was another day Vala was unprotected. Sleep usually took him as he worried and he welcomed it now.

* * *

Vala was worried. Daniel hadn't come for her that first night. He hadn't come looking for her in the morning either. She'd lasted a day on hope, but every hour and minute that passed with no sign of Daniel ate at that hope. She became aware of her hunger and thirst. She watched the villagers around her drinking from the well and leaving Seevis's tavern well fed. She was exhausted with hunger, she was exhausted with worry. When sleep came she dreamed and the dreams scared her like no other had.

She was lying in her bed in Ber and Kira's cottage. A fire erupted above her, engulfing the bed's canopy, the flames licking at the wooden beams and cotton curtains. A face, a skull rather, appeared in the flames, sunken eyes and nose, and a large, wide lipless mouth baring crooked teeth. It came for her, closer and closer as if to swallow her whole.

The anxiety of the nightmare shook her body awake. She lifted her head from the bench in the altar and stared once more around her at the villagers. No one looked at her, no one offered her help. She shifted against the stone bench to find some physical comfort, but it did nothing to ease her emotional stress. _Alone. Again._

* * *

Daniel didn't usually put much stock in dreams, but when one had seen and experienced some of the things he had, one sometimes had to accept the reality in dreams. This was probably going to be one of those times.

Daniel found himself in the Doci's chamber standing in front of the gilded gate that led to the fires of the Ori. The Ori possessed the Doci's body as Daniel had seen them do once before, and the evil-looking Voice of the Ori slowly turned to face him. In a none too pleasant, gravelly, communal tone, the Ori spoke, "Daniel Jackson, you have returned."

He winced at the recognition.

"Your entire life was an open book to us the moment your energy and that of your companion entered our galaxy."

"How?"

"We are the Ori."

_As if that explained anything._ "What have you done?" Daniel hesitated but asked the question he feared anyway, "Did you impregnate Vala?"

"Yes," the Ori answered through the Doci, "with your help, of course."

"What?"

"Your genetic material was deemed useful in the creation of our child. _Ex uno disce omnes._ " They spoke in Ancient.

"No." He translated the phrase instantly, _from one, all will learn_.

"The child is our Orici. Your strength of mind and capacity for intelligence perfectly match our requirements for the Orici. You have given us all we need to conquer your pitiful galaxy."

"You can't do that."

"But we have."

The flames of the Ori flew about him and Daniel woke up suddenly. He focused on his surroundings, he was back in his cell and there was a man in the hallway, unlocking the cell door. He was about to be beaten again. Daniel sat up and tried once or twice to point out to the man that he really wasn't asking him any questions, but his mind was reeling with the memory of the dream and all it implied.

_Smack!_ Vala's child was his. His child was the Orici, the one to bring Origin to his galaxy. _Slap!_ It didn't matter that he was unsure how a baby could accomplish this. What mattered was that he'd been used, both he and Vala. Their enemy was growing inside Vala's womb. _Whack!_

The blow hadn't landed on him but on his attacker. Another man was unlocking the chains on Daniel's ankles and wrists. His rescuer was the same man that had been working with him inside the ship with the computers. What was he saying?

"Get up! We have to get you out of here."

"Panos! Hurry!"

"Ber?" Daniel recognized the second voice. "What are you doing here?"

Ber walked into the cell and helped Daniel to his feet. Then each man put one of Daniel's arms over their shoulders as they left the cell. "There's no time to explain, Daniel. We need to get you to Vala."

"Why? What's…what's happened?" Daniel asked groggily. He found his feet after a few moments and was able to walk with just the larger man's help.

"I'll explain on the way, we must hurry." Panos led them out of the small jail and kept watch for any other guards or priors. It was after sunset, but probably not quite full night. Panos nodded, the way was clear. The three of them silently crept to the path that led away from the main shipyards and toward the various villages.

Finally clear of the shipyards and on their way back to Ver Isca, Daniel took a deep breath of fresh air and nearly fell over with dizziness. Yet he remained clear-headed enough to ask once again for an explanation. "Please, tell me what's going on, Ber."

"We really must hurry, Daniel," Ber said while shoving an apple into Daniel's hand and adjusting the lantern he was carrying. "Eat this and pay attention to the surroundings. There is a safe house near here and you will have to go there with Vala tonight."

"Ber?"

"Eat. We are part of the resistance against the Ori. Myself, Kira, Seevis, Denya and her brother, Panos."

The larger man offered his hand to Daniel. "I only wish I could've rescued you sooner. Oh," he held out Daniel's glasses, "they fell under the console where you were working."

Daniel thanked him and accepted the glasses. They passed a large boulder on the left and Ber pointed out that the safe house was a mile to the east. Panos turned onto the path, saying he would prepare the house for them.

The knowledge that Ber was part of the resistance should have shocked him, yet he and Vala had already guessed as much. He stopped eating for a moment to ask Ber the question still plaguing him, "Why must we hurry? What happened to Vala?"

Ber sighed. "A man named Tomin overheard her talking with Denya in the tavern more than a week ago."

"I know him. Short man, with a limp. The other villagers look down on him." He suddenly remembered his discovery in the ship. "He was the one who caught me at the shipyard."

"He's been lame since birth. Apparently he has been healed recently by the prior and conscripted for duty in the crusade. Seevis and I believe his new exhilaration at being able to serve the Ori drove him to inform Seevis of Vala's conversation with Denya and their questioning of the Ori. Most people know of Seevis's influence and tell him things to keep in his good graces. Little do they know," Ber scoffed. "Tomin would have gone to the prior the next time he arrived if Seevis didn't do anything with Tomin's information. So Seevis took Vala and chained her to the altar."

"Ber!"

"He only left her there, ordering everyone to leave her alone without food or water. He believed you would return by the end of the day and take her home. When you didn't show up by the next morning, he worried, up until Tomin made his ecstatic, village-wide confession that he'd caught an unbeliever. Tomin saw you at the shipyards and decided you must also be unclean when he saw you pocketing a data device." Ber frowned and shrugged his shoulders. "There are some that just will not see reason.

"Seevis quietly asked friends to get word to me, then he also found Panos and asked him to help plan your escape for when I returned. When I got back a few hours ago, I met Panos at the shipyards and we freed you."

Of all the questions running through Daniel's mind, this one seemed rather important. "How did you know?"

He could have meant any number of different things, but Ber had understood. "The symbol on your uniforms." Ber shrugged. "Kira and I went through your things during those first couple of days you were living with us."

"You're kidding," Daniel replied, more shocked that the small Earth symbol had given them away than the fact that Ber and Kira had snooped through their things.

"There were other little things, too, the lack of familiarity with Ori customs, for example."

"Why didn't you tell us? Why did you tell Seevis we were from Ver Alta?"

"I wasn't completely certain I could trust you. You had weapons, and everything about you was unfamiliar to us. I told Seevis so that he would watch you, keep an eye out. Denya, too."

Daniel finished the apple and chucked it into the woods, a fierce anger was building inside him. "Why did you come to me first? Why not help Vala? Is Kira with her?"

Ber shoved another apple in Daniel's hand and urged him to eat. "We cannot risk it. None of us can. You are the only one who can take her from the altar. And because you've been held by the crusaders, this can't be public. Some misguided believer will no doubt turn you both over. You'll have to wait until after midnight. And I won't be able to shelter you any longer. I must throw you out of my house or risk scandal."

Ber continued their brisk pace, his eyes darting from tree to tree. "Take Vala to the safe house. Denya and Kira will have taken some food and herbs for healing. We will come tomorrow night or the next and discuss what to do. Panos will have a report for us about what he has discovered. It is possible we'll be able to help you get back."

"Ber, I don't know what to say."

"Just be careful and take care of Vala." Stopping outside his cottage, Ber looked down at his feet. "I feel terrible about what has happened. It was almost like last time." He shook his head. "We will come see you. Stay in the house. Do not leave."

The next instant, Kira came running out the front door. "What are you doing here? He must go quickly. I have no idea how she has survived this long. Or the baby."

Ber took her by the arms. "Be still, Kira. Vala is strong. She will be fine. And you know he can't leave now. Some idiot will restrain him and they'll both be cleansed." Kira shuddered in her husband's arms, but he managed to lead them all inside. "I had to show Daniel the route he will take from our house but he should also take the map."

Kira nodded and went to the stairs, lifting a plank. "Here it is." She spread it on the table and Ber pointed out the relevant landmarks, their cottage, Ver Isca, the shipyards and the safe house.

Kira busied herself in the kitchen, setting a hearty meal in front of Daniel. "Here, eat this. Denya took provisions and some of your things, but there should be a clean shirt and pants upstairs, if you want to change quickly."

Daniel nodded and went to get the clean clothes. He ate and washed and then Kira pushed him upstairs to rest while they waited until the small hours of the night. But there was no way he could sleep. He lay on the bed and rested his muscles but he desperately wanted to leave and get Vala as far away from these people as possible.

As soon as deep night had fallen he got up out of bed and left the house, Ber and Kira assuring him, and possibly themselves, that Vala would be fine.

"Be safe, Daniel," Kira hugged him.

Daniel ran carefully through the forest surrounding the village, but he still feared he'd be too late. He was angry that Ber hadn't trusted him. For months they'd lived under his roof and they couldn't have mentioned the little matter of the resistance? He was scared and angry that Vala would pay the price for his stupidity at getting caught in the first place. But then he realized he'd never felt true anger until he actually saw Vala slumped in the middle of the altar.

Daniel stopped cold, panting heavily. He started toward her, then stopped halfway and went to the village well. Bringing her a ladle full of water, he smoothed her matted hair from her face and lifted her head up to barely moisten her lips with the water. They were parched and cracked, and her skin was incredibly pale and ghostlike. He found the pulse at her neck even though it was faint. Kissing her forehead, he exhaled a relieved sigh when her lips moved slightly.

"Not Qetesh…I'm not," she whispered in a small, cracked voice. "Was symbiote…removed…Tok'ra…"

"Ssh, stop. Drink this, Vala. I'm here."

Daniel looked at the manacles around her wrists, then glanced around for the key. He saw it dangling at the end of the altar where flaming oil could be poured into the altar's rings. Seevis used the altar for a different sort of punishment. Not as final, but just as brutal. Daniel's anger rapidly came to a boil again as he remembered their first venture in this galaxy. He glanced at Seevis's tavern and almost wished the barman had had the key so he could go in there and knock some sense into the man.

Seevis and Ber walked a fine line for the resistance, and they'd had to do something with Vala because of Tomin's eavesdropping, but it didn't make Daniel any less angry that they'd _had_ to put her through this. Daniel retrieved the key, unlocked Vala's chains and gathered her up in his arms as gently as he could.

He then carried Vala through the courtyard and beyond the village walls in the dark of night.


	11. Chapter 11

It felt like it was taking him forever to reach the safe house. Daniel just couldn't get there fast enough. Vala needed water and food. Her clothes needed changing and she needed to be washed. She needed to rest on a bed where she'd be safe. Daniel didn't dare stop to rest for himself. Relying on the adrenaline in his system to put one foot in front of the other, he carried Vala away from harm to relative safety.

When he arrived, he glanced back and it appeared they hadn't been followed. And the house did, in fact, look safe. The hearth was prepared for a fire, two large bowls of an oatmeal-like dish were on the table, and a bucket of water sat near the sink. There was also a wide bed made up with clean sheets and blankets set close to the hearth.

Laying Vala down on the bed, he stripped off her shoes and her sweaty, soiled dress. The knee-length shirt beneath the dress was in much worse shape as it looked to be stuck to her body. Eyeing her cautiously Daniel went to the kitchen area to get a cup of water and noticed a note tucked beneath one of the bowls on the table. It was from Denya.

She apologized for not being able to stay, but her absence would arouse suspicion. She hoped Panos would come soon and tidy up a little more. She also instructed which herbs and oils to mix for Vala's skin and told him to be careful of feeding her too quickly in case her body rejected too much food too fast. She mentioned a secret cellar beneath the house, which contained foodstuffs and other provisions they might need. The entrance was beneath the floorboards where the bed had once been on the far wall. Glancing to the place she indicated, Daniel moved closer and noticed Earth's stargate symbol once again, carved lightly into a wooden plank. Lifting the plank proved simple enough and soon he had removed an entire section of the floor to provide access to the cellar.

He would inventory it later, but for now, he had to tend to Vala. Daniel first went to light the fire in the hearth, then brought the bucket of water from the sink, an armful of clean cloths, and a cup back to Vala's side. Sitting next to her, he propped her up into a sitting position and brushed her hair away from her face.

Eventually, her eyelids fluttered open. "Vala, can you hear me?" She nodded and he lifted her head and tipped some water into her mouth, watching her lips work the liquid voluntarily. Daniel hoped she'd wake up fully, because he'd clean her if he had to, but he'd rather give her the option of doing it herself. But even as he thought it, she fell back asleep, her head resting listlessly against his shoulder.

"All right then, but I tried to wake you up, so don't yell at me later for this."

Daniel reached for her socks first, pulling off the odorous garments. He dipped a cloth in the bucket, soaped it, and wiped her feet clean. Changing cloths, he washed and rinsed her lower legs. Then, keeping her covered as best he could with the dirty under-gown, he ran the cloth over her thighs.

As he washed her, his fingers brushed past her underwear. It was stiff, as if it had been wet and then dried against her skin. Daniel hooked his fingers under the material and gently drew it off her body. The first thing he noticed were the spots of blood dotting the cotton material.

The words of the Doci from his dream came back to Daniel then: _"The child is our Orici."_

Had the baby survived this? Would the Ori protect their own? Were they even aware of Vala's torture? Daniel wouldn't let the questions bother him. Vala was the one who needed him. There was nothing he could do now about the baby's uncertain fate.

After soaking and wringing out the cloth, Daniel spread Vala's legs slightly and, keeping her covered, he wiped her down as carefully and tenderly as he could. He might have seen her wince, but it could have been a reflexive action. Dropping the rag with the other used ones, he picked out a clean, dry towel and set his hand to her again, dabbing gently in order to dry the area.

Laying the towel across her hips, he lifted her bottom and pulled the long shirt farther up her back. Then, he lifted her upper body and worked the fine linen up and over her head and arms. The sight of her bare stomach made Daniel think of the unborn child once again. He placed a hand on her like he had done before and tried to feel the baby moving or kicking at all, but he gave up after a minute or two when he thought he saw Vala shiver. Daniel threw the filthy garment over his shoulder to where the other dirty and soiled clothes were piling up, and then he went back to work cleaning her.

Choosing another dry cloth, he wet it, soaped it, and began washing Vala's torso, breasts, and arms, leaving her back and her hands for last. Most of her body had been protected from the elements by her clothes, yet dust and grime coated her hands. Daniel worked on scrubbing and cleaning each finger separately. When he was satisfied he discarded the rag and reached for two more.

More reluctantly than he'd care to admit, he laid the first cloth across her chest, providing whatever modesty he could give her. The second, he dipped into the water once again and bathed her face. Vala's face was just as dusty and grimy as her hands had been. Using less soap than on the rest of her body, Daniel sponged her cheeks, forehead, and neck. Color slowly came back into her skin as the filth was wiped away and the warmth of the fire washed over her.

Throwing the used cloth into the pile with the others, he reached for the cup of water again and held it to her lips. She moaned then, softly, and lifted her head on her own to reach the cup.

Daniel let out an audible sigh and bent low to kiss Vala on the forehead. Her eyelids flitted open and shut rapidly, and as she turned her head back and forth he could see her processing her surroundings.

"Not a dream?"

"Nope, just the same nightmare we've been living for the past five months."

She closed her eyes, then, and sighed. "Oh. Good."

"Do you think you could eat something?"

"I could eat an equine."

Daniel smirked as he stood up and brought one of the bowls of oatmeal back to the bed. "You got to know Teal'c pretty well, didn't you?"

Vala smiled back. "Yes, Muscles has an incredible sense of humor."

"Can you sit up?"

She could, though she had to rest her hand on his thigh for support. Her other hand clutched the towel at her chest to keep it in place. Daniel held up a spoonful of oatmeal for her and she took the bite, swallowing slowly. After five mouthfuls, Vala raised her hand to stop him and lay back down on the bed.

"Too much?" Daniel asked.

"A little. I'll have more in a minute. I just want to lie down."

"It's all right. It'll be here when you're ready for more." Daniel set the bowl down and pulled the bedsheets over her.

"I know I should say something about you seeing me naked again, without me having gotten naked on my own, of course," she gave him a smirk that he knew was half of what it could have been, "but I just can't seem to find the words."

"I kept my eyes closed the whole time." Daniel smiled back at her, but the way his eyes seemed to drift to where her breasts were covered beneath the sheets probably tipped her off that he was lying.

Her smile told him so. "Liar."

Daniel suddenly found the fireplace very intriguing as he looked away from Vala to hide his expression. When he turned back, he brushed his hand over her face and she closed her knowing eyes peacefully. "Try to get some rest," he said finally.

"I want to know what happened. I just wish I could stay awake."

"Rest. We're safe for the moment." She opened her eyes and her expression became worried again. "We really are," he assured her. "This is a resistance safe house. Denya brought over our things and there's a cellar beneath the house with provisions. I'm actually going to go look down there and see if there's anything we can use. But I think we've got all we need for now." Daniel glanced around the house, then met her gaze again. "Are you cold? Do you need another blanket?"

Vala shook her head. "That quilt at my feet should be fine. And the fire is warm." She tried to sit up and reach the blanket but Daniel moved faster and shook it out over her.

"I'll just be downstairs. The oatmeal is here on the table with some water if you get hungry or thirsty." He rubbed her shoulder under the quilt. "Just rest."

Vala nodded and closed her eyes again as Daniel got up and made his way to the cellar.

* * *

Vala hated feeling helpless and unable to care for herself. She told herself that she had five minutes to rest, then she'd get up, get dressed, have something to eat, and help Daniel look around. She was _not_ a damsel in distress, she scolded herself, she could take care of herself.

She relaxed quietly on her side and replayed the last few minutes in her mind. She remembered waking up and wanting to feel angry at seeing Daniel smiling down at her. Wanting to rage against him for abandoning her, wanting to vent out all of her fury towards the stupid, arrogant villagers. But the anger dissipated when she'd focused on the cuts and bruises on Daniel's face. He hadn't abandoned her. He'd probably had a narrow escape just like her. _Would it have killed him to take the zat?_

Sometime later, longer than five minutes, she guessed, but less than an hour hopefully, she pushed herself up and looked around the room. It appeared cozy and warm. She reached for the bowl of food near her and took a few more tentative bites. Sipping from the cup of water, she felt her strength returning. She'd survived another nightmare.

Daniel had certainly helped her, so she couldn't take much of the credit. But she'd survived long enough for him to find her and bring her to safety. Vala held on to that small bit of self-confidence as she stood up and found one of her dark brown dresses and some other clothes Denya had brought for them.

Rifling through the clothes, she found Tulia's book with Daniel's notes and their weapons which they'd brought with them to this galaxy. Looking at the weapons she thought that there was definitely a story Daniel had not yet shared. And she did so love a good yarn. She finished getting dressed and, seeing the pile of dirty clothes in the corner, she lifted them up and took them outside the house. Her first instinct was to burn them and the memories they evoked, yet cleaning them would be more useful. She set them outside the door for now and walked back to the bed and the bucket of dirty water.

Vala's body felt clean, thanks to Daniel, but her hair was still a mess. She wasn't vain, but she felt filthy. She picked up the bucket, some soap, and one of the remaining clean cloths and walked outside. Dumping out the contents, she went to the well to retrieve some fresh water. It was still dark out, but she really needed to do this. She rinsed her hair and lathered it up, feeling a hundred times better when she was able to lightly comb her fingers through it and rinse out the soap. She dumped out the water, filled the bucket once again, and made her way into the house.

Picking up the hairbrush Denya had remembered to bring, she went to the cellar entrance. While combing and drying her hair, she peered inside and called Daniel's name.

Immediately he appeared at the ladder. "Is everything all right?"

"Oh, yes, everything's fine. Just wondering if you're getting into any trouble down there."

"Plenty," he kidded. "But I'm done for now."

Daniel climbed the ladder and handed her a sack when he reached the top rung. Vala practically laughed out loud when she opened the bag and examined the contents while Daniel set the floorboards in place and sealed the entrance to the cellar.

"I'm actually not surprised at all by any of the things you found." She drew out the candles first and explained, "I was a little shocked that you would light a fire that could so easily lead others to us."

"I thought the same thing while I was down there and saw the candles. We should probably douse the fire. I'm sure we're safe, the house is far enough from the village that I doubt anyone will see the smoke, but we probably shouldn't take the chance."

"Agreed." Vala walked over to the table and set down the sack as she continued to pat down her wet hair.

"We could also wait a few more minutes, however, if it'll help your hair dry."

Vala looked up at Daniel and noticed a small grin light up his face. She would definitely torture him later for seeing her naked. But for now, she simply went to sit on the bed with her back to the fire and munched on what looked like a piece of dried, salted beef Daniel had found in the cellar.

"The fact that there were _books_ down there surprises me, yet the fact that you found them does not."

"Funny," Daniel quipped as he also bit into a piece of dried beef and proceeded to describe what he'd discovered in the cellar. Besides towels, blankets, and clothes, there were dried foods and flour as well as other herbs and ingredients for cooking. It was very cold down there, he told her, so that was probably why the food remained relatively unspoiled.

"But _obviously_ , the most fascinating things you found were these books." She lifted one from her lap and eyed it closely.

"Journals actually, written in the same sort of code as in Tulia's book." He picked up another of the books from the table and sat across from her on the mattress. "They're almost like minutes from meetings from what I can tell. But they stop abruptly. Here's the last entry."

Vala took another bite of the beef and nodded to Daniel to begin. "Well, it appears Ber and Kira were away, _again_ , visiting resistance members in another village. Tulia had remained behind." Daniel paused while he read silently and frowned. "The entry describes her murder. They didn't know how the prior knew, but he found her and burned her in the altar just like Denya told us. Ber and Kira could not be found quickly enough. They weren't there to help her. Seevis…"

"Stop."

Daniel looked up, locking gazes with her. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right." Vala took a deep breath. "I just wish someone would stand up to these priors." She shook her head. "But they can't. The priors have too many powers. I suppose they can't read minds, though, or else all of us would've been caught long before now."

Vala handed him back the journal she'd been holding and went to the hearth to poke at the smoldering logs. Daniel lit a few candles around the room, then came up behind her with a bowl of water to douse the remaining flames.

"You're very lucky." She stared at the hearth, trying to find her armor.

"Huh?"

"All those cuts and bruises on your face." She turned from the hearth to look at him, a hint of sympathy as well as a small smirk in her eyes. "They're keeping me from jumping your bones."

Daniel took a second to read her expression and respond accordingly, giving her a small smile. "I'll have to thank Tomin then. Getting beaten up is _so_ much less traumatic than being jumped by you."

Vala nudged his elbow with hers. "That almost sounds like you'd _like_ me to pounce on you."

"Naw, I'm pretty sure I'd hate it." He went to nudge her elbow, but ended up stroking it gently.

Vala's heart fluttered a little at the touch. She either needed to move away and spare herself the heartache or give in to the impulse and risk hurting them both in the process.

In the end she remained still. "This isn't working," she breathed, staring back at the hearth, begging herself to shut up.

Daniel stopped stroking her arm. "What's not working?" he asked quietly.

_Don't say anything,_ her mind pleaded. "This. Between us." Vala sighed and closed her eyes. "I want you. But I don't _want_ to want you. I'm giving up my self, my independence every time you rescue me from some catastrophe. I felt this same way after that first time in Ver Eger. I was able to get past it, but it's getting harder now."

"Why?"

She turned around to look at Daniel, tilting her head at his question.

"Why is it harder now than before?" he clarified.

Vala shrugged her shoulders and looked away from him. "I thought it was…simply lust at the time. Just physical attraction. I know what that feels like, that's what it was. I was able to slip back behind my defenses soon afterwards. I felt normal." She focused on a candle on the table nearby. She couldn't look Daniel in the eyes while revealing all this about herself. "But now, everything's different."

"How?" he prodded.

"I don't know how!" She threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "It just is." Vala turned to face him. "Because it's more than lust, it's more than physical attraction. _You_ are attractive. Your whole being. And it's messing with my…with my equilibrium. We were teasing a few moments ago, and that helped, but then I look at you, and despite the cuts and bruises, I want to strip you naked and have my way with you." She huffed audibly and sank onto the mattress.

Daniel cleared his throat and took a small step back. "Okay. Well, let's consider that Plan B."

Vala scoffed. "If only. I'd be lucky if it were Plan Z."

Daniel paused a moment before confessing, "Would it help to know that you're messing with my equilibrium, too?"

She shook her head. "No, that just means that neither of us will be able to stop the other." _And while it might be good for a while,_ she thought to herself, _we both know it would end disastrously. We'd both get hurt._

Daniel sat next to her on the bed and against her better judgment she didn't move away. She waited for the sauciness to come back. She waited for a snappy remark when he rested his hand on her knee. But there was nothing. She looked into his eyes and all she could remember was him carrying her, him kissing her forehead and giving her water. Him spoon-feeding her and trying not to look at her body.

"I'd say give it a day, you'll probably be back to normal tomorrow." His words seemed playful but his tone was kind.

"I suppose." Her gaze lowered to his mouth, and rather than let herself imagine kissing him, she focused on his beard and noticed it had become extra scraggly. "I saw the razor blades in the sack, too," she said softly, trying to change the subject. "Were you going to shave your beard?"

Daniel brought a hand up to his face. "I was thinking about trimming it when I saw the blades down in the cellar. It's getting really scratchy."

Vala raised her hand to his cheek, allowing herself the barest of caresses. Lowering her hand quickly, she stood up carefully so as not to get dizzy and walked over to the kitchen table. "I could help if you want. There don't appear to be any mirrors around here."

Daniel eyed her warily. "Have you ever shaved a man before?"

She nodded. "It's not difficult. Here, sit down. I'll wash and cut your hair a little, too." She could feel her defenses coming back as she smiled. "You're getting that werewolf look."

"Werewolf?"

"Movie night with Teal'c and Mitchell. We saw _Teen Wolf_ with Michael J. Fox in it."

Daniel came over to her and sat down. "When was that?"

Vala stood behind him and wet his hair. "A few days after the mission to P8X-412." She straightened up and lifted her chin with a smile as she remembered the aftermath of that mission. "I think their attitudes about me may have changed a bit when I went after that prior with a P-90, for all the good it did," she finished more quietly.

"Sorry I missed it."

Vala shrugged as she rinsed the soap from his hair and began trimming it. "You were busy."

It really wasn't that hard at all to wash and shave Daniel. And it served an important underlying purpose. That even though he had taken care of her, she could take care of him as well. It was a small thing, but she wanted to remain on equal footing with him, as much as she could anyway.

She asked him questions while she cut his hair and started shaving his beard, like what had happened to him and if the other guy looked just as bad. Daniel laughed and said that he hadn't even left a scratch on his captor. He went into what happened then. He told her how he'd been caught, beaten and locked up. He explained how Ber and Panos had found him and why Seevis had abducted her and punished her on the altar. He was very patient with his story, waiting until she was rinsing the blade before he told the next part.

"I suppose I understand why Seevis did what he did." Vala drew the razor over Daniel's chin smoothly. "It's extremely dangerous for them to go against the priors and the Ori. I want to be angry and hate them, but I can't."

"I know exactly what you mean. I wanted to find Seevis immediately and pummel him when I heard what he'd done to you. But it wouldn't have done any good. According to their logic, what they'd done had kept you alive. If Tomin had gone to the prior, you surely would have been cleansed."

Daniel shuddered just then and she almost nicked him, but fortunately her hand was steady. Vala finished the job and Daniel wiped his face with the towel. Then he smoothed his hands over his jaw and cheeks, as if feeling whole again for the first time.

"Thank you, Vala."

She resisted the urge to touch his face and simply nodded. "You're welcome, Daniel."

* * *

The following two days passed slowly. Vala mixed herbs together with an oil to heal the dry, cracked skin on her hands and face, and Daniel kept a rag soaked in cold wellwater on his eye to reduce any swelling.

Neither of them wished to deplete the stores in the cellar, so on the second morning they went hunting together, since Daniel had no intention of leaving Vala alone at all. Daniel was able to zat a couple of squirrels, and on the way back to the house, Vala found a berry bush Kira had taught her was not poisonous. They risked a fire to cook their meal, but as soon as they were finished they put it out, still wary that the villagers might find them.

At night, they slept close together. They rationalized it because the bed was smaller than they were accustomed to and that since they didn't build a fire at night, sleeping close would keep them warm. They rationalized it but deep down they were glad for the comfort they could give to and get from each other.

Neither had made that first move to reach for the other. It was completely mutual. It was a silent yet joint acknowledgement of their desires when Vala turned into Daniel's shoulder and Daniel encircled her in his arms. If Vala turned over in her sleep to lie on her other side, Daniel turned with her, curling his body around her, holding her hand, keeping her close. It was the only contact they allowed each other. It was chaste and it was not. They fell asleep dreaming of the other, of a life they could have together, a real life.

They didn't talk, they didn't reveal, they simply held each other.


	12. Chapter 12

Late on the third night, they woke to a soft scratching. Reaching under their pillows, both Vala and Daniel pointed their weapons towards the door. It opened to reveal Ber and Kira walking in, wearing cloaks and carrying dimly lit lanterns.

"Child! Dear child!" Kira rushed over to Vala's side and hugged her tightly as Vala handed her zat to Daniel.

Kira released Vala after a few moments of flowing tears, then attacked Daniel with similarly fierce hugs and kisses. "Oh, you wonderful, wonderful young man! I'm so happy you were able to rescue Vala. I've been so worried for the two of you."

"Kira, dear, they are fine, as you can see." Ber put his hands on her shoulders and helped her up from the bed so that Vala and Daniel could get up. "It's not like last time. They are hale and whole. See?"

"Yes," Kira nodded. "Vala, we are truly sorry for not being there to help." Her eyes filled with tears again as she trailed off.

"There was nothing you could have done, Kira. I understand." Vala stood before Kira and took both the older woman's hands in hers. "Truly. I don't hold either of you responsible, nor Denya and Seevis."

Kira nodded again, but still remained worried. "And the baby? Can you tell if it has survived?"

"I…" Vala started. "The movements I feel aren't as frequent or as intense as before."

"Sit down, then, child." They sat together on the bed. "Tell me how you feel. Any pains? Cramps?" Vala shook her head as Kira splayed her hands on Vala's abdomen. "If you'd lost the baby there would be blood. Your body would expel the baby." Kira looked up once more to Vala and smiled. "And there is movement. It's possible the baby is just recuperating, as are you." She nodded. "Yes, if there have been no pains or blood, I do believe the baby has survived. It is a relief, surely."

Vala nodded mutely to Kira, then stole a glance toward Daniel. They really hadn't talked much about her pregnancy in the last two days. And there was at least one incident that she hadn't told Daniel about. Her frightful dream.

Vala watched as Kira moved from the bed and began to light candles around the house. Daniel spoke with Ber near the window as they both kept watch for any others of the resistance who would be joining them tonight. Vala stood up and got herself a drink of water.

Her dream could have been just that, a dream. But it had seemed so terribly real. And it served as the only explanation for her pregnancy, that the Ori had somehow impregnated her. That somehow they were responsible for the baby growing inside her. Relief that the baby was alive was not an emotion she could admit to feeling. But neither could she vocally admit that the baby _wasn't_ hers and Daniel's. Somehow, Vala just knew that Ber, Kira, and the other members of the resistance would not react well to the knowledge that her baby was, for lack of a better phrase, 'the will of the Ori.' Not to mention Daniel. While he'd probably love to hear her report to one and all that the baby wasn't his so that they could drop this charade, the truth would not be a welcome or useful alternative. What difference would knowing the baby's origin make to their escape from this galaxy? Vala was good at keeping secrets, this one would just have to be kept a little longer. And besides, maybe it wasn't so. Maybe the dream had been just a dream. Just her tortured body's way of conjuring a frightening enough image to help keep her from slipping into a hunger- and thirst-induced coma. _Maybe_.

By this time, Seevis, Denya and Panos had arrived and all seven of them were seated around the table or leaning against the walls. Kira had made tea and was passing around cups and mugs. Ber was the first to speak.

"Panos, please tell us what you learned on your reconnaissance mission."

"Ships are being constructed with all speed. Our village is one among dozens on this planet, and there must be dozens, or maybe hundreds, of worlds where the same things are happening. Our people are preparing for a war, a crusade against a nameless, faceless enemy."

Panos stopped briefly as he glanced at Vala and Daniel, then continued, "There is to be a mission shortly. A scout ship is scheduled to embark for the skygate in order to ensure that the one here in our galaxy and the opposite one are both operational. We men at the construction grounds were told of the mission a week ago and I volunteered immediately. The scout ship will be ready in two days, at which time, I'll fly the ship to the skygate, dial its twin, and attempt to establish a bridge. Then I'll go through the gate, take preliminary star readings, and return." Panos smiled around the room finally resting his eyes on Daniel and Vala. "It seems like the perfect opportunity to get the two of you home."

Daniel found Vala's hand under the table and squeezed it tightly. She squeezed back, just as happily, but she still had some concerns. "Does the ship have an interstellar or an interplanetary drive?"

Daniel caught on and nodded. "The formation of a skygate requires the creation of a black hole. It's possible the resulting shockwave may have destroyed any nearby planets with other stargates. And even if it didn't, the nearest planets might not even have stargates on them, so we'd need the ship to have the capability of traveling to nearby star systems in order for us to ultimately get home."

Vala finished the explanation, "If the ship doesn't have that capability, we could find ourselves in our own galaxy but still stranded."

The others around the room nodded in understanding. Unfortunately, Panos shook his head. "I don't think it has the ability for interstellar travel yet. That is still a couple of months away. The test is merely to prove that the skygate in your galaxy is operational."

"Well, what about long-range communications?" Vala asked. "Is there a beacon or anything like that onboard so we could at least get a message to our people?"

Everyone turned to Panos for his reply. "Yes, the communication array is quite advanced. I believe we _could_ use it to send a message."

Vala nodded to Daniel. "That will have to do for now. We shouldn't use it unless it's fitted with some sort of hyperdrive."

Daniel agreed. "We'll need to think of a message to send. Ideally we'd like to warn Earth about the impending crusade—"

"But we might need to be a bit more pithy, don't you think?" Vala teased.

"Yeah," Daniel gave her a half smile, then spoke to Panos, "we don't want anyone suspecting anything if they run diagnostics when you return."

"Could you hide something in background noise?" Denya asked.

Vala tilted her head towards Panos. "Maybe if I had a look at the engine schematic, I could program a slight hiccup, bury a signal in the static."

"I just so happen to have some plans with me," he offered. "Before I knew about you two, I took these thinking the rest of us could use the information for possible sabotage."

He sat down next to Vala and handed over a data device. She skimmed over the plans, figuring out some of the ship's inner workings. "Yes," she finally nodded towards the engineer, "I think I can tell you how to utilize the background engine static." Then she looked at Daniel. "What will the message be? 'We're still alive. Ori supergate here. Don't destroy it just yet.'" Vala raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that seems pithy enough, might even want to send my identification code as well, just so they know it's us."

Vala nodded in agreement and turned back to Panos with instructions for modifications.

"In the meantime," Ber spoke up, "you should probably stay here in hiding. Seevis, tell them what you know."

"What happened?" Daniel asked. "Were there any consequences because of me rescuing Vala?"

Seevis looked down into his mug. "The prior returned yesterday. The village was still gossiping about Vala and who could have helped her escape. Many believe it was you since you're no longer in custody at the construction grounds." Seevis lifted his head then cocked his neck to the left and right, seemingly working out a kink. "The prior approached me and demanded details. He asked whether the messenger, who was surely sent to find him, had been injured or delayed in any way. He questioned why I didn't post a guard on the woman to prevent such an unfortunate occurrence." One of Seevis's hands came up to his throat and rubbed it. "He commanded that men search every home as well as the surrounding forest for signs of you both."

"Will his mistrust in you damage the power you've gained over the villagers?" Vala asked, looking up from her work with Panos.

"I doubt it. Most likely it will only strengthen their belief that no one is above the priors or the Ori. I will still be able to inspire fear in the villagers but recruiting any to our cause will be more difficult." Seevis looked more closely at Vala then. "Incidentally, can you think of any reason why the prior would focus on you so intently? Why he would want you found even though I've used this tactic before with suspected unbelievers and have gotten little grief in the past?"

Daniel glanced at Vala and they both shrugged in confusion as Vala replied, "I suppose the prior might suspect who we are, and possibly the threat we pose."

Seevis simply nodded in return. "Well, it's only been one day since the searching began. It's possible the prior will abandon it once Panos's mission is successful and they need to focus on completing more ships."

"Maybe we should try to stay a step ahead of the prior, in any case," Daniel suggested. "Is there anywhere else we could go? Ber, you said there were other safe houses used by the resistance."

Ber nodded, "We have five in the immediate area—"

"Six if you count Nic's house," Kira interjected.

"Absolutely not, Kira," Vala shook her head vehemently. "We are not endangering your family any further."

Denya placed a hand on Vala's arm. "All the safe houses have cellars like this one, even Nic's. You can live with them comfortably for a few days and if there is any reason to hide, you will be completely safe."

Vala still shook her head. It was a terrible idea.

"A few of the safe houses are on the way to Ver Obdur." Ber asked for the map he'd given Daniel and they spread it on the table. "You could spend a few days at each, always moving, always out of the prior's reach. And by the time you get back, perhaps the scout ship's hyperdrive will be operational."

Daniel nodded. "After Panos returns and can let us know if the mission was a success, we'll leave for the next safe house." He squeezed Vala's hand. "We may or may not go to Nic's house, but we'll always keep moving, no more than a week at any location."

* * *

An hour or two later, Daniel and Vala were lying in bed not even pretending to sleep. The others had left in three groups, and the two of them were left in the safe house, going over the details they'd all discussed at length. One thing in particular, stuck out in Daniel's mind and he couldn't help replaying Seevis's revelation.

" _Incidentally, can you think of any reason why the prior would focus on you so intently? Why he would want you found even though I've used this tactic before with suspected unbelievers and have gotten little grief in the past?"_

"Vala," Daniel spoke, knowing she was still awake. "I think the baby _is_ mine."

Vala rolled over to face him, wide-eyed. "Say that again."

"I had a dream in between beatings. I was in the Doci's chamber back in the city of Celestis and the Ori told me that they had impregnated you. That they used my DNA and yours to make the baby. Probably while we were converted into energized molecules in the rings' matter stream, I would guess."

"And you believe this dream?" she asked incredulously.

"I've seen and believed in far stranger things in the past nine or ten years."

"Stranger than a bunch of power-mad beings on another plane of existence impregnating me to…" she hesitated and made a questioning kind of face, "did they happen to tell you why they did it? Maybe just to see if they could?" She raised an eyebrow, apparently trying to lighten the tension.

"The baby is their Orici," Daniel confessed, "the one to lead all on the Path to Enlightenment."

Vala blinked, then sat up slowly and clutched the covers closely to her chest, staring blankly across the room. "I'd thought so…or at least suspected…but I wasn't sure. I didn't want to be right."

Daniel sat up and put his arms around her when he saw her shiver. "It's all right. Relax. We probably have years to raise it and teach it something other than Origin. As long as the child is with us, the Ori and the priors won't be able to use it against us and our galaxy." Vala shook her head against his chest. She was again being used by power-mad beings with god-complexes and Daniel was only now beginning to understand what that felt like.

"The crusaders will still come. I don't see how making me pregnant is going to help them win this war. It's got to be one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard of, and believe me, I've heard of quite a few. None come to mind at the moment, but I'm sure I've heard of a few good ones."

Daniel laughed slightly into her hair as he held her close. "I'm sure you have." He continued to calmly stroke her arms and back. "Everything will be all right, you'll see. You'll get through this. We'll get through this together." He pulled her closer to him, curling himself around her as they sat up in bed. He raised his hand to her cheek so slowly, then brushed his palm over her skin gently.

Lifting her head, Vala looked into Daniel's eyes. She then lowered her gaze to his mouth, then further lowered it to his chest. All of a sudden she was disentangling herself from his arms. "You want to hear a really stupid idea? Having sex with a woman impregnated by power-mad beings from another plane of existence in order to comfort her. Now that's a stupid idea if ever I heard one."

Daniel stuttered a bit as he sat up straighter in bed, mirroring her posture opposite him. "I…I wasn't thinking about…I wasn't trying to get you to have sex with me…"

"Daniel."

He followed her line of sight down to his waist and he gathered the blankets around himself, awkwardly hiding his current hard-on. He honestly hadn't noticed because he'd been practically half-aroused for the past few days anyway.

"Fine. Point taken," he admitted. "But I wasn't thinking of sex, well not immediately. But I _was_ thinking of how strong you've been these last few months, and really, how strong you've been since I met you. I don't feel lust or simple physical attraction to you." He reached out and cupped her face in his hand. " _You_ are attractive, your whole being. What's happening to you is awful and I wish I could take it from you, but since I can't, the only thing I can do is try to comfort you, to try to make things easier for you."

"Daniel…" But he smothered her words with a kiss, a tender, gentle kiss meant to soothe and calm. He let his tongue slide over her lips to assure her he was sincere, to show her he cared, that he wanted this.

"Stop." Vala tugged on Daniel's hand to release her face and lightly pushed him away from her. "I would give anything to not be pregnant right now for the simple fact that I cannot enjoy this with you when I know you are simply kissing me out of pity. I don't need that. I don't _want_ it. I'm…I'm more than your charge or your ward." Vala scrambled out of the sheets and stood up when Daniel tried to reach for her again. "You have no idea how much I want this, you really don't. But not like this. I want it to be on _my_ terms. When we get back to Earth there will be plenty of other people to watch over me. Your doctors and scientists will probably have a field day with me, and you'll stop feeling like you have to protect me. Then all this will be over and as strong as you think I am, I won't be able to handle that. I won't be able to handle you not wanting me anymore." She sighed. "So as much as I'm kicking myself right now for saying this, please don't kiss me again." Vala looked down at him and her eyes pleaded with him to understand.

"Yeah, of course. I'm sorry." Daniel threw off the sheets and stood up. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"Daniel," Vala said softly, "I didn't mean to—"

"No, you're right. I don't know what came over me." Daniel grabbed for his pillow, set it down on a chair near the kitchen table, then walked over to the cellar's entrance. "I think there was an extra quilt downstairs. You can have the bed tonight."

"Daniel."

"It's all right. I'm fine, just go to sleep. It's only a few hours 'til dawn anyway."

"We don't have any chores, we can sleep in. Daniel, come back to bed. There's plenty of room. I shouldn't have said anything. Daniel!"

He had lifted each plank covering the entrance to the cellar and was about to climb down the ladder, but he jerked his head up to face her as she spoke.

"Listen to me. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for my little speech to sound like a rejection of you. It was a rejection of this whole damned situation. I appreciate what you feel for me and what you've done for me these past few months. Just please, come back to bed." She paused. "Besides, whatever blankets you find down there will most likely be ice-cold and you'll be terribly uncomfortable sleeping in a chair. I don't want that hanging over my head."

Daniel stood on the ladder and thought for a moment. He had to admit that he was kind of hurt by her rejection, but it also should have hurt that she could be emotional then logical in the span of five minutes. It should have sent warning signals to his brain that he was being rather emotional and irrational about this whole situation, too. But whatever he was feeling, he didn't define it as feeling hurt. He did, however, acknowledge that he was getting used to the feeling. Getting used to the idea that Vala was a strong, capable, _logical_ woman. He set the floorboards back in place, retrieved his pillow, and settled into bed. Vala followed and lay down on her side facing away from him.

She probably wouldn't believe him, but he felt like he should tell her anyway. "You know how you said before that I had no idea how much you wanted this?"

"Yes."

"You have no idea how much I want it, too." Vala was silent during his confession. "It's not going to change when we get back to Earth, how I feel about you, that is."

Vala just sighed. "We'll see." Daniel turned on his side to face her as she continued, "If I were actually pregnant with a child, I admit that I might be less harsh in my assessment of your feelings. But the thing is, I'm carrying an Ori-human hybrid and as much as I believe you can forgive just about anything, I don't think you'll be able to forgive this. I believe what you're saying, I believe you really are feeling something strong for me. I simply hesitate to believe that those feelings will continue after we return to Earth and the baby is born."

Daniel stared at her for another moment before replying. "You obviously know nothing about me, then." And with that he turned completely over on his side facing away from Vala and closed his eyes. Exhaustion was not far behind.


	13. Chapter 13

"Oh my god! Vala! They found it! They still have it! Vala!"

For the last few days, Daniel had been studying the resistance notebooks and it turned out Seevis and his friends had been able to save the communication device from being destroyed in the fires in Celestis. Daniel rushed outside, finding Vala digging around in the dirt. "What _are_ you doing?"

"Hmm?" Vala noticed him and smiled through the dirt covering her cheeks. "I'm trying to find a way to create the effect of dust to hopefully convince people that this place hasn't been harboring fugitives." She was sifting the dirt through an old sieve. "Unfortunately, I can't get it fine enough. Ash!" She snapped her fingers. "Perfect texture and the particles are fine enough…better color too. Dust isn't brown, why didn't I think of that before?" She started to get up and Daniel held a hand out to help her. She smiled in thanks and brushed the dirt off her knees. "Did you need something? Is it lunchtime already?" She rolled up her sleeve and glanced at her watch.

Daniel followed her into the house and sat down while she washed her face and hands with the pump by the sink. "No. I was reading through the resistance notebooks and it turns out they saved the communication device and stones."

"You're kidding! Why didn't you say something?"

"I was trying to, but you were yammering about dirt and dust."

"I was only yammering about the dirt because you asked what I was doing."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Whatever. The point is we need to ask Ber and Seevis about the device. Where it is and if they'll let us use it."

Vala nodded. "Panos's mission was this morning, wasn't it? They said they'd let us know in a couple days whether or not it was a success." Vala shrugged. "We'll ask about the communication device when we all meet up."

* * *

Panos's mission had indeed been a success on all counts. The crusaders were happy to hear that both skygates were operational, and Daniel and Vala were happy to hear that their message had been sent. There was no guarantee that the SGC would receive it but it was worth the shot. Panos also left copies of his star readings with Vala. She learned that the nearest stargate was on a planet a few systems away from the supergate. They would definitely need a ship with hyperdrive to reach it on their own.

Panos informed them that now that the skygates were operational, construction on the ships was increasing. Shifts of men were working day and night to complete the ships. The scout ship's hyperdrive would probably be ready in a month. The rest of the motherships were still three months from being finished.

Everyone agreed that their next course was to use the communication terminal. Even if they couldn't directly get home yet, Daniel and Vala still wanted to warn Earth of the impending crusade. The terminal was being kept in another safe house. Ber pointed it out on the map and both Daniel and Vala decided it was time to dirty up their present home and move on to the next. That and Seevis told them some men were still out searching for them. This was the last direction left for them to go.

After the meeting broke up, everyone helped mess up the place, hiding everything of importance in the cellar beneath the bed. Denya and Vala found some soiled and dirty sheets and put them on the bed, and also tore out some of the mattress stuffing and straw. Kira had packed all the decent cookware in the cellar but she kept the broken and greasy pots and pans and littered them around the kitchen. Ber and Daniel cut the rope pulley on the well, and lifted the front door off its hinges so it hung crookedly. Panos and Seevis found a few dead mice and rats in the forest and scattered a couple around the house. Finally they all scooped ash from the hearth into their hands and blew it out over the various surfaces, backing up toward the door so as not to leave footprints in the settling "dust." Vala hoped it would do the trick.

Afterwards, they all dispersed to their destinations, carefully wiping their tracks as they left quietly in the middle of the night. Upon arriving at their new safe house, both Daniel and Vala were exhausted. They inspected the bed, and since it looked clean enough, they plopped down and fell asleep for a few hours.

* * *

Vala woke first from a sharp pain in her side. She was never able to get more than a few hours sleep anyway. Most of the time she woke up from some uncomfortable position, from her baby kicking her, or from her bladder about to burst. This was nothing new.

She got up and looked around their new home, noticing the dust and deciding she'd done a fair approximation of it in the last safe house. Smiling to herself she walked over to the sink to inspect the pump. There was no water in the reservoir; she'd have to fetch some from the well. Thankfully it was in the backyard and not too far away. She grabbed the bucket by the back door and headed off to get their water.

By the time she got back Daniel was yawning and stretching. They were probably going to give the communication device a try today, but she felt a little nervous about it. There were still so many things about it that they didn't understand. First of all, and most worrisome, how to disconnect.

They hadn't been able to willingly disconnect from their host bodies that first time, and neither Bill Lee nor Carolyn Lam seemed to have an explanation for that. Mitchell had said that the prior they brought to see them, and hopefully help, had simply remarked that their conditions were "the will of the Ori." Daniel had scoffed at the time, and Vala had agreed. These people were so blind.

Vala instead hoped that the reason they hadn't been able to disconnect before was because of the Kor Mak bracelets she'd slapped on the two of them. She was willing to wager that the two technologies had interfered with each other in some way so that they couldn't disconnect from the communication terminal unless they both tried at the same time, or were touching each other when they tried, or some other such nonsense. Then again she might be completely wrong, and they could find themselves back on Earth but trapped in other peoples' bodies.

The other thing that worried her was that she didn't think it would work this time. Mitchell and Teal'c had destroyed the device on Earth by tossing it into the unstable vortex of a forming wormhole. What would Daniel and Vala be able to connect to if the SGC didn't have a terminal?

"It would've been nice if the Ancients had included an instruction manual or something," she muttered to herself.

"What was that?" Daniel asked around another yawn.

"Nothing. Well…" She left the kitchen area and pulled out a couple of pears and a loaf of bread from their sacks of belongings. "I'm just worried about using the communication device." She came over to the bed and handed him a pear and a cup of water. "There's still so much we don't know about it."

"We have to try though, right?" Daniel accepted the fruit and drank from the glass. "If nothing else we have to warn Earth about the crusade."

"I know. I just don't want to get stuck in other people's bodies again without being able to disconnect. And it might not even work. Mitchell and Teal'c destroyed your terminal."

"True. But there are a lot of Goa'uld and Ancient devices we've been able to reverse engineer using Earth technology. I bet Sam has already worked something out."

"I know we have to try, but I don't like it," Vala admitted.

"Well, that's the thing, you won't have to try. Not at first anyway. I think I should be the one to go first." Vala blanched and was about to protest if she hadn't had a huge bite of pear in her mouth. Daniel waved her off. "Don't get upset. It's logical. If you're right and it's not so easy to disconnect, I'm depending on you to watch out for me, to take care of me while I'm unconscious."

 _Now he decides to trust me!_ Vala screamed to herself. "This is insane. You'd leave me here by myself to take care of you? We should wait for Ber and Kira or Denya and Panos to be here when we try this thing. That way we're not separated and…"

"You know they can't risk being seen with us. We can all only meet like once a week anyway. They can't be gone from Ver Isca for that long. Besides, we already have the plan set up to get us home anyway. As soon as it's ready, have Panos or Seevis help you get me in the scout ship and then all you have to do is fly us home."

"How often do our plans work out that well?"

"Okay, but still, we have to try this."

Vala shook her head. "This is a bad idea."

* * *

It took them an hour or so to set everything up to Vala's satisfaction. They got the device up out of the cellar and set it on a chair near the bed. Daniel would sit on the bed and insert a stone from there, so that if he did fall unconscious, Vala could guide him onto the pillow instead of the hard floor or table.

"You ready?" Daniel finally asked.

Vala sat next to him on the bed and pulled him to her for a quick kiss. "You die on me and I swear, I'm going to…I'm going to find you and kill you myself."

Daniel laughed out loud, not even really fazed by the kiss. He simply realized she was motivated by intense worry. "You're so overdramatic." Then he patted her hand and placed the communication stone into one of the corresponding crevices. He saw the device light up and then he blacked out.

"I know you miss him," Sam's voice, "but you seem to be getting more and more depressed every time you visit."

"Sam?" Daniel couldn't believe his luck. It had actually worked! He opened his eyes and recognized Sam's quarters on base. They were lying on her bed…she was curled up in his arms… _Whoa boy!_

"Jack, I need you to have a little faith." She reached up and kissed him. "They're alive out there somewhere and they'll find a way back to us." Then she kissed him again, gently, soothingly.

"Sam, I…" Daniel started. He couldn't help think that this particular Ancient invention was more than a tad screwed up. "Sam, it's me, Daniel."

His genius teammate blinked a couple of times and then seemed to finally figure it out. "Daniel? Oh my god, it worked!"

"You were able to reverse engineer the communication device?"

"Yeah. The data we collected when you and Vala were using it was really useful. We hooked the computer up to a Tok'ra subspace communicator and voila!" She smiled happily.

"But what about the stones? Weren't they destroyed with the terminal?"

"Yeah, but the inventory teams sent to the Avalon cave came up with another six stones. Jack got the _Prometheus_ to immediately beam him in from Washington to lend a hand. His imprint is on one of them, so I guess that's why you're connected to him." She blushed a little. "Were you here for the kissing? Sorry about that."

Daniel waved her off. "Don't worry about it. No harm done. This technology _is_ a little screwy."

"Yeah," Sam agreed.

"But I should try to disconnect. None of us would want me to get stuck in Jack's body."

"Wait, before you go. Are you guys all right? Is Vala with you? Or…did she connect too? I wonder who Vala's in right now."

Daniel laughed. It was good to be home, even like this. "We're fine. We've got a lot to tell you all. Vala stayed behind, just in case I couldn't get back. We think we may be able to steal a ship to get home. Hey, did you happen to get our message? The Ori made another supergate."

"There was some garbled noise a day or two ago. Was that from you?"

"Yeah, Vala figured out how to hide the message in the background engine noise. We didn't want to give away who was helping us. Really. It's a long story, but I need to try to get back so Vala doesn't worry."

"Okay. Let's go to my lab. I don't think disconnecting is as easy as willing your mind to leave Jack's body. I think we have to power off the program."

"Oh. Makes you wonder where the off-switch was on the Alterran terminal."

"Yeah. I don't know. Maybe conscious disconnection was possible with the original equipment. Anyway, give us a few minutes before you come back. I'll connect to a stone as well so Vala can come with you."

"No, you should hear what we have to say. You might be able to help with all the technobabble. Vala has a data device with her, but we don't know yet if this thing goes both ways. If your mind doesn't go to the Ori galaxy to actually see the data, you'll need to be here so Vala can explain it."

"All right, that makes sense." They arrived at Sam's lab and she walked over to the computer and Tok'ra device at the edge of the table. "Give us a little while to get a volunteer for Vala then you both can come back and share your story, okay?"

"Yeah." Daniel took a deep breath. "Okay, all set." Sam shut down the program and powered off the computer, and Daniel felt his mind go blank once more.

"Daniel, you okay?" Vala was rubbing his cheek. "Come on, Daniel, come back to me."

"I'm here." Daniel opened his eyes and smiled. "It worked. I got back."

"Well, I sort of knew it worked when you fainted."

"No, I meant disconnecting. Sam has a device that mimics the communication terminal. All she has to do is turn it off or on so we can come and go as we please." Daniel sat up. "By the way, was Jack here or was I just unconscious?"

"Just unconscious," Vala confirmed. "But you weren't gone all that long. Did you have time to tell them about the crusade?"

"No. I wanted to tell them, but I wanted to make sure I could get back first. Anyway, she said she'd get a volunteer to use another stone so that you could go too."

"That's not necessary." Vala bit her lip.

"But you were the one who said you didn't want us to be separated."

"True, but I don't think it would be a good idea for us both to be unconscious with nobody here to look out for us."

"I think it'll be all right, we'll just make sure to turn all the appliances off before we go." Daniel winked at her. "Trust me, everything's gonna be fine."

Sam hadn't really given Daniel a timeframe, so they waited two hours before sitting back down on the bed and facing the communication device.

"You ready?" Daniel asked.

"No," Vala replied. Then she shrugged. "Yes, all right. Let's go."

The next instant they were in Sam's lab surrounded by Sam, Mitchell, Teal'c and General Landry.

Sam was the first to say something. "Daniel?" When he nodded she came over and gave him a big hug. "Sorry," she apologized when she let go. "I guess part of me was worried I'd imagined it all." She walked over to Vala next, who Daniel noticed was in Dr. Lam's body. "I knew you'd both made it through in the energy beam." Sam gave Vala a hug too. "I'm glad you two are all right."

Then Teal'c came forward and clasped Daniel's arm. "We never gave up hope."

"Thank you, Teal'c," Daniel said as they embraced warmly.

Mitchell shook hands with him next. "I was only trying to get the band back together. You didn't have to go charging off with your girlfriend." He nudged Vala's elbow. "Thanks for not getting killed out there."

"Don't mention it," Vala returned, nudging him back.

Landry smiled at them both as well. "It really is good to have you both back, even in this capacity." He came around and shook their hands. "I can't tell you how base morale has been affected by your disappearance."

"Thank you, sir," Daniel replied.

"But I suppose we should get down to business. What have you got to tell us?"

Daniel gave them all a grave look. "General, the Ori are sending armies. A crusade is beginning."

*o^-*o^-*o^-*o^-*

They loaded Sam's equipment onto tables and rolled them into the interrogation rooms, Daniel in one and Vala in the other. It was expected even if a little unnerving. They would need to have video evidence to convince the various government officials of the imminent threat. And separating them was necessary to compare their stories. It still made Daniel feel like he was sitting on the wrong side of the table though.

General Landry and Teal'c sat in on Daniel's debrief. A technician started the cameras as Teal'c spoke, "Both Colonel Carter and Doctor Lee informed us that there was no way we could mount a rescue mission—"

"Assuming, of course, that you _had_ been sucked into the wormhole and your energy patterns hadn't been scrambled on the way," finished Landry.

Daniel nodded to them both. "I understood. I figured as much when we materialized on the planet."

Landry nodded as well and motioned for Daniel to begin his story.

"Well, the village is quite simple, very similar to Ver Eger, late Middle-Ages or very early Renaissance Era. Though not a lot of free-thinking going on."

"I can imagine," Landry said.

"Yes, well, the villagers mostly go about their lives, farming, tending livestock, trading, prostrating."

Teal'c interrupted, "It sounds like an ideal vacation locale."

"Yeah," Daniel replied to the remark with a sarcastic look of his own, then jumped back into his story. "Vala and I did our best to blend in with the villagers. We met a nice elderly couple and pretended to be married so as not to risk, well to put it bluntly, another Ori barbeque."

"Married, you say?" Landry asked.

"Yes. We came across Ber and Kira and their home a mile or so from the village. They were good people. Ber was cautious, understandably so because we were strangers, and Kira was bubbling with her desire to help us. We got in their good graces and were able to convince them to let us stay with them."

"You conned them for room and board," Landry pointed out.

Daniel ducked his head and smiled shyly to himself, remembering. "Vala will probably describe it as just that. Anyway, we met most of the villagers over the next few months, notably, the tavern-owner, Seevis, and his serving-girl, Denya. We attended prostration, studied Origin, and eventually," he paused and rubbed his jaw, "we 'met' the resistance while Ber and Kira were away in a neighboring village visiting their son and his family."

*o^-*o^-*o^-*o^-*

In Interrogation Room 1, Sam and Mitchell were conducting Vala's interview. When she had gotten settled, Sam nodded to Mitchell and he started up the cameras. "First of all, I'd like to say—"

"Um, before we start," Vala interrupted quickly. "It's just that I haven't had much to eat since breakfast this morning, nerves, I guess, though I guess I shouldn't be feeling my hunger. Did Dr. Lam eat lunch?" Both Sam and Mitchell looked at each other, as Vala shook her head and continued, "Doesn't matter, I think she's hungry too, and I very much enjoyed those pancakes when I was here before and maybe a bowl of ice cream—double chocolate fudge brownie, if memory serves," she finished with a happy grin and nod.

Sam tilted her head toward the observation room, then continued, "Well, like I was saying, for the record I'd like to thank you, Vala, for your ingenuity and bravery surrounding the events five and a half months ago at the failed Ori beachhead. If it wasn't for your quick thinking and courage, I doubt we would have…" she hesitated a moment then continued with a small smile, "just, thank you."

"Aw, Sam," Mitchell teased, "self-deprecation is so unattractive on you."

Sam glared back at him.

Vala nearly blushed at the unexpected compliment coming from the beautiful, genius Air Force officer none of the men could stop talking about when she'd been stuck here on the base months ago. Her response was entirely sincere. "Thank you, Colonel Carter."

Sam raised a hand to her chest and smiled back at Vala. "Sam, please," she requested. "Now, tell us about what happened when you and Daniel left the _Prometheus_ bridge and ringed aboard the cargo ship."

"Well, I…I wasn't trying to be a hero or anything. It's just that Daniel and I had witnessed firsthand the terrifying power of the Ori and the utter blindness of their followers. And when I saw the energy readings between the linkages, I simply acted." Vala paused for a moment, remembering the incident. They were all being friendly and kind to her now and she didn't like being reminded that they hadn't wanted to listen to her suggestion in the first place, so she pushed those feelings to the side and continued. "I didn't expect Daniel to follow me onto the cargo ship, and I don't believe we hesitated long before trying to get back. It was probably just bad timing that got us sucked into the wormhole that formed as a result of the planet's destruction."

"That's what I believed when we found out you hadn't ringed back," Sam said. "I tried dozens of scenarios and simulations for how we could manage to find you. However—"

Mitchell finished for her, "Let's just say it wasn't in the cards."

Sam looked over at him and nodded. Then she turned back to Vala and asked, "What happened next."

"Well, I don't know to tell you the truth. You see, Daniel tells me I arrived unconscious on the ring platform in the Ori galaxy and that I remained that way for about two days. He told me he recognized that the village in the valley below the platform looked Ori in nature and guessed that it wouldn't be a good idea to ask them for help, so he carried me away from the village into the forest and found a cozy little cavern for us," she reported with a smile.

"Well, we stayed near the cave for a few days, only venturing to the village one night for suitable clothes." Just then there was a knock on the door and someone brought in a tray for Vala. She bent over her plate of pancakes and inhaled the sweet smell of the maple syrup. Taking a bite, she muttered, "Where was I? Oh yes, we wandered a bit one morning, looking for help and met a very nice elderly couple, who were simply putty in my hands. I charmed Ber and Kira into giving us a meal and allowing us to stay for the night. But to be perfectly honest, Kira was an easy mark." Vala winced imperceptibly, imagining what could be happening to Ber and Kira at this very moment. The more she thought about it, the more she worried that sometime soon Ber and Kira would be caught and killed for helping them. She covered up her anxiety by quickly wiping her mouth with her napkin. "As such, I don't think I can take much credit for winning over Ber," she finished, pushing her plate aside and reaching for the bowl of melting ice cream.

Mitchell spoke up then, "That doesn't make sense. From your earlier reports about the village of Ver Eger, I can't believe this couple didn't suspect something bogus right away. I mean, they took in a couple of people who just _happen_ to wander in from the woods?"

"Well, I know how to tell a good sob story, Mitchell," she informed him. "Besides that, I told them we were married. Kira was cooing over me before the words left my mouth."

"Married? I'm surprised Jackson didn't kill you," Mitchell said with a chuckle and Sam tried to suppress a laugh behind her hand.

Vala just shrugged and continued to eat her ice cream. "I think the thought may have crossed his mind."

*o^-*o^-*o^-*o^-*

"I find it surprising that the Ori crusaders did not burn you at once when they discovered you," Teal'c said after Daniel had recounted the remainder of their time in the Ori galaxy.

"I know. Maybe Ber and Seevis and the rest of the resistance are making some headway with the rest of the population. At least trying to determine guilt before doing something as permanent as killing an alleged offender." Daniel shrugged. "All I know is that I'm lucky to be alive. Both of us are. If it hadn't been for the resistance we'd be dead."

"We owe them a great deal," Landry said.

Daniel blushed slightly, it wasn't easy knowing that his closest friends had been so worried about him. And even if he couldn't get home, he needed to make sure they knew what was coming. Daniel paused, taking a steadying breath. "General, the priors, the doomsday rhetoric, they're not idle threats. They're coming and I'm not sure negotiating is an option at this point anymore."

General Landry nodded. "Thank you, Dr. Jackson, for everything you've told us." He unfolded his hands and stood up, then indicated to the technician to turn off the cameras.

"I will check on Colonel Carter and Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c informed them and walked out.

Landry nodded to the Jaffa warrior, then turned back to Daniel. "How are you doing, Dr. Jackson? Personally?"

"Personally? Uh, we're fine, General, just fine." Daniel was a little confused about where he was going with this. It's not like they could tell Vala was pregnant in Dr. Lam's body.

"I'm just saying, it must be very difficult for the two of you by yourselves, trying to survive behind enemy lines as it were."

Daniel relaxed a bit. It seemed that Landry was just offering him a little sympathy. He answered vaguely yet honestly. "It has been rather tough. Having to watch what you say all the time. Never knowing who you can trust. Vala has really been a great deal of help. She has a knack for blending in when it's necessary like this."

"From what I remember, you two were usually at each other's throats, bickering quite loudly back and forth."

Daniel blushed. "I guess I didn't realize how bad we got before. And we still bicker occasionally, but it's more good-natured and light-hearted for the most part."

"Don't worry, Dr. Jackson, I won't tell anyone you've come to respect her," Landry teased. At that moment Teal'c came in to report that Sam was ready to shut down the machine if they were.

Daniel nodded and followed them back to Interrogation Room 1. He hugged everyone goodbye and said they'd try to connect again if they learned anything new. Vala also got hugs from everyone and then Sam was waving goodbye as she powered down the machines.

"Told ya," Daniel said as they woke up in bed in the safe house. "Nothing to worry about."

* * *

They set about cleaning the safe house a little for the rest of the day. The oven was lined with grease, and an animal had died in the tub outside. Later that evening after dinner, they lay in bed as usual, Vala shifting from side to side trying to find a comfortable position, Daniel wishing she'd trust him enough to let him comfort her. They ended up talking about what they'd said to Landry and the rest of SG-1.

"Were you able to tell Sam where the supergate is?"

"Mmmhmm. She told me she'd put a couple of Dr. Lee's assistants on our scrambled message. She thought they would have figured it out in a day or two, but she was glad we were able to use the communication device to tell them exactly where to look for the supergate. She's hoping they'll be able to convince your pentagram—"

"Pentagon," Daniel corrected.

"Right, convince them not to destroy it just yet, since we told them about our plan to hijack a ship to get home." She stiffened then next to Daniel's arm. "I get the impression your government wouldn't mind sacrificing us and leaving us here, but the notion of us bringing some useful technology back is a huge point in favor of keeping the gate operational."

"I hate to admit it, but I kinda agree with you," Daniel confessed as well. "But we have Jack on our side, as well as Landry, Hammond, and the rest of SG-1. They'll go to bat for us." He felt her relax a little. "Did you happen to mention that you were pregnant?"

"No." Vala rolled onto her back to face him. "Did you?"

"No. It didn't seem relevant at the time." Daniel stared at the ceiling.

"Do you want to tell them?" Vala finally asked.

"I don't know. We don't _really_ know how it was conceived, but if it is an Ori-human hybrid child, I'm thinking it'll be a point _against_ letting us get home."

"Hmm. I suppose there's two extremes. They either let me have the baby and then take it away from us to study it and see if it starts manifesting any freaky, prior-powers…"

"Or they don't let you have it, deciding the trouble isn't worth the risk."

Vala nodded. "Either way, it won't be ours anymore, just as it won't be ours if the crusaders ever find us and take it from us."

"Yep."

"All the more reason to stay on the move and get away from here as quickly as possible."

"But we should also think of other scenarios, besides having the baby on Earth, I mean."

"A nice little planet that hasn't been visited by the priors yet…"

"With maybe a few more modern technologies…"

Vala laughed a little. "Getting tired of hauling water from the well, darling?"

"Indoor plumbing isn't so much to ask for. Ancient Romans on Earth knew enough to accomplish running water pretty well. And I've already lived a year in a desert climate, no need to go back to that."

"No deserts or tents. No Ori priors. And indoor plumbing if possible." Vala nodded. "I'll try to think of something."

Daniel sighed. If nothing else, their easy camaraderie hadn't disappeared. At least the confessions of their feelings hadn't ruined that part of their friendship. But he still thought there could be more between them. He just wasn't sure how to convince her of that.

He was aware that the simplest way would be to tell Vala about Sha're and Shifu, but his heart still clenched in pain when he thought of them. And there was no guarantee she'd believe him. If he didn't explain all of it, she might think he was making it up. Daniel knew he was being a coward about it, but no matter how you sliced it, rejection stung. He just wasn't sure if he could risk his heart again.


	14. Chapter 14

Over the next month, Daniel and Vala moved around a lot. They'd spend a few days in a safe house and then move on to the next one. Seevis reported one time that all the moving was worth the effort. There were still search parties going out every day to find them. Vala had commented that they'd probably be found if the priors ever decided to send everyone out at the same time instead of just the half a dozen or so that had been ordered to find them. Seevis had agreed, but he figured their top priority was the ships. They probably couldn't afford to waste an entire day with everyone searching.

However, when they'd talked to Panos about the ship construction, there was not much good news. Daniel had hoped that Panos would be able to give them something they could communicate back to the SGC, but he had apparently lost ground with the priors. He was still in charge of much of the ships' construction, but mainly engines and life support. Panos hadn't been able to discover anything about shield frequencies or weaponry. He told them he'd keep looking into it, but Vala had waved him off. There was no need for him to get caught, they needed him to help them steal the scout ship when it was ready. It would likely have all the pertinent information, they just had to be patient. Panos had agreed and said he'd come get them as soon as the hyperdrive was ready.

Things got really bad, though, when Denya visited them close to the end of Vala's seventh month. She'd overheard a couple of men talking in the tavern. They'd found a few of the abandoned safe houses and the prior had ordered them and a few others to go back and keep watch on them. The men hadn't mentioned which houses they were, so she and Seevis had concluded that none of them would be safe anymore.

"We'll just stay here, then," Vala said, "until Panos says the ship is ready."

Denya shook her head. "That won't work either. The prior has taken more men off of construction duty to look for you. It's only a matter of time before they find this house as well."

"Maybe we could sneak back to Ber and Kira's," Daniel suggested. "They could hide us in the barn or something."

"The journey is too far now, too many roads and open fields where you could be spotted," Denya advised. "Their son, Nic's place is closer, and they aren't even remotely suspected of resistance activity. You'll be completely safe there."

Vala protested immediately. "I've already told you we can't put their family at risk." She pleaded with Daniel, "We could find another cave nearby. Somewhere close where Panos can find us."

"Be serious, Vala," Daniel said. "You can hardly sleep through the night on a mattress. You'd never be able to sleep on a hard cave floor. And the nights are getting colder too." He looked at Denya for confirmation.

She agreed. "Winter is setting in early this year. There have been some unexpected frosts ruining a few of our regular harvests."

"See," Daniel tried to change Vala's mind, "there's no way we can survive outdoors right now. We have to try staying at Nic's."

Vala shook her head. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."

Denya took her arm. "It'll only be for a few days. Panos told us they're putting the finishing touches on the scout ships this week. They'll be ready soon and then you can escape this place. You have nothing to fear, Vala."

"You know that's not true, Denya," Vala said, "but I appreciate you trying to help." She nodded to them both. "Yes, all right, we should go."

Denya helped them pack their things and un-tidy the safe house. They hadn't stayed there long so it was still quite dirty. They were out the door and on their way to Nic's in a matter of hours.

They arrived well after sunset, Nic and his wife Raymis had just finished putting their children to sleep. Denya made the introductions while Raymis warmed dinner plates for them.

"We can't tell you how much we appreciate this," Daniel told the couple. "Hopefully we'll be out of here in a few days."

"It's no trouble at all," Raymis replied. She and her husband were young, likely in their late twenties. Nic was Ber's height, so a few inches shorter than Daniel, had sandy blond hair, and was clean-shaven. Raymis was about Denya's height, and kept her brown hair cut short. She was fit and smiled easily when she spoke. "And it's the least we could do to repay you for helping out Ber and Kira for all those months. They're not as young as they used to be, but they insist on living on their own."

"We've tried to get my parents to come live with us," Nic said, "but they're a stubborn pair. The resistance means a great deal to them, and they like staying close to Seevis. He hears more rumors than we do here in Ver Obdur."

"I'm glad they were there. I don't know what we would've done if they hadn't helped us," Vala said. "You don't owe us anything, Raymis. The help we gave them was so little compared to the way they kept us safe."

The younger woman smiled back at Vala and patted her hand, so much like Kira that Vala nearly teared up thinking of her. After they were done with dinner, Nic and Raymis showed them to the room they kept for his parents when they visited. Denya slipped into the children's room and snuggled in close with the little girl. The two boys slept in bunked beds. No one would be alarmed when they saw Denya in the morning. She would often stay the night in their room when she brought messages from Ver Isca.

* * *

The next few days really did proceed without incident. Denya had left the morning after they'd arrived, saying someone would come by the minute the ship was ready. Because of Nic's young family, he was only required to be at the shipyards every other day. Daniel discreetly helped around the farm in Nic's absence, cautiously staying out of sight as much as possible. But no one came by to bother them. No one came searching for a couple of fugitives.

Vala stayed in the house with Raymis and the children. She offered to help a number of times, but Raymis simply sat her in the living room with a pile of mending. She was not to get up for any reason and the children were there to guard and restrain her if necessary. She winked at the boys and they saluted their mother with glee. The boys were 10 and 7 and small copies of their father. The girl was a little over 3 years old and had the cutest, curliest brown hair Vala had ever seen.

While Vala mended clothes, the boys sat at a table working mathematics figures or writing stories for their mother. The little girl was still too young for reading and arithmetic, but she dutifully stayed at Vala's feet and played with a cornstalk doll her older brothers had made for her birthday. It was such a comfortable sight that Vala had the most restful nights' sleep that she'd ever had in her life. She found herself dreaming of her and Daniel in the exact same scenes. Him sitting at a table teaching their son or daughter, or her building a castle with their child out of cushions and pillows, and all of them laughing and playing. Suddenly it was more awful being awake than asleep, knowing that that kind of comfortable family life was only a dream.

On the third afternoon, Ber and Kira came to deliver the news that the scout ship was ready. Raymis took the children outside to hang laundry while the four of them talked in the main room. Daniel was worried that with all the extra construction crews working at night as well as during the day, they'd never be able to take the ship without someone seeing. Ber reported that with winter coming early, all the men were required to help in the harvests around the region for the next two days. He suspected that more than half of the harvest would be loaded onto the ships and kept in storage for the crusaders. Vala guessed that there would still be some guards at the shipyards and Ber confirmed that, but it was the only chance they had.

Vala's gaze settled on Kira's. "Come with us," Vala said softly. "All of you. You'll be found out and killed. Come with us."

"No, child," Kira answered. "Our place is here, with our families. We must stay and fight."

"You know what will happen when they discover you helped us. You know."

"Yes, child," Kira spoke firmly. "We'll be martyred." Ber put an arm around Kira's shoulders in a gesture of comfort and love. "Our people need to open their eyes to the truth about the Ori. We cannot help them from a galaxy away."

Kira's eyes were dry even as Vala's began glistening with tears. She wiped at her eyes before the tears fell and nodded to Kira and then to Daniel.

* * *

"I don't think it's much farther to the shipyards. We can rest for a minute if you need to."

Vala nodded to Daniel as he guided her to a boulder for her to sit. "I'm fine," she said, though she was breathing heavily. She was accustomed to walking everywhere, but being seven months pregnant did slow her down considerably. "We don't have to stop for long. We need to make it to the rendezvous point."

"We'll be there soon, no need to rush."

The plan was simple but even simple plans could go terribly wrong. Daniel and Vala were to meet with Panos at the shipyards after nightfall, he would then sneak them aboard the scout ship. He'd delivered some schematics over the last few weeks so that they would be a little familiar with the controls, but he still wanted to make sure they didn't have any questions.

They had plenty of time to get there but Vala insisted on being early, with enough time to maybe observe some of the guards, see if there were any holes in their rotations. There were just too many things that could go wrong. Through the slit cut in her dress, she fingered the zat strapped to her thigh, then she stood up and began marching in the direction of the shipyards once again.

When they arrived Panos was there to greet them quietly. He led them onto the ship and told them he and a fellow engineer had been given permission to test the ship's hyperdrive. Their launch wouldn't arouse any suspicion now. When Daniel asked about the other man, Panos said he'd given him a sleeping drug and installed him in his barracks. After they were away, Panos was going to go back to his bunk as well and fake a similar situation to divert further suspicion of his involvement. Vala praised him on his clever ruse.

"The controls are just as I described a few weeks ago. I don't believe you should have any trouble flying the ship. The information system is also intact. I've made a few modifications to load quite a bit more information about our ships, weapons and defenses."

"I'm sure our scientists will be able to access it, thank you," Daniel replied gratefully.

Vala suddenly felt a prickling up her spine. Something didn't feel right. "Daniel, we need to get going."

"One more thing," Panos interjected, leading them back outside the scout ship. "I saw this on the ship this morning. I don't think it will cause a problem…"

Vala stopped listening to Panos's remarks. Something really didn't feel right. Out of the corner of her eye to her left, she caught a brief glimpse of the one-eyed prior's shadowy form watching them from behind a tool shed, no less than thirty paces away. Perhaps he suspected something about Panos's test flight. So much for foolproof plans.

Standing behind the building as he was, she didn't have a clear shot, and she knew the prior's telekinesis would kick in long before she was able to aim and fire, so she did the next best thing. Feeling within the folds of her dress, she retrieved her zat and shot once at Panos.

"Daniel, he wasn't going to help us. He was just stalling until help arrived. Let's go." At that moment, the zat flew out of her hand as the prior approached her. She'd expected it and she hoped Daniel wouldn't tip his hand until the right moment.

* * *

"You've evaded my search parties for quite some time," the prior hissed as he drew closer to Vala, stopping only a foot or two from her. "And now you try to fully escape me."

"Wouldn't have been the first time I had my eye on a ship to get me out of unfriendly territory," Vala retorted.

The prior's hand flew fast and slapped her before Daniel had even registered the danger or could shout in protest.

"The mother of the Orici will not speak ill of the followers of the Ori."

Vala reached up and rubbed her cheek. "You're going to regret that."

Before the prior had a chance to strike Vala again, Daniel spoke up, drawing the prior's attention, "You know then, you know she carries the Orici."

The prior looked at Daniel as if noticing him for the first time, then he grabbed for Vala's arm and used her as a kind of shield while tilting his staff toward Daniel. So Daniel did what he did best, he kept the bad guy talking. "Why didn't you take her before if you knew who she was?"

"You both were being looked after, there was no cause for alarm at the time. Until you escaped from that barman." The prior tightened his hold on Vala's arm, and Daniel tried not to wince but kept his gaze locked with the pale-faced man as he continued speaking to Daniel. "You, however, are of no further use to us. Your seed was all that was necessary for the Orici's creation." The prior then turned his head and spoke icily in Vala's ear. "Would you like to watch as I choke the life from your companion?"

Vala stiffened at his words. "I'd rather not. I get somewhat nauseous at the sight of cold-blooded murder. But do what you have to do, I suppose. It doesn't matter much to me."

The prior smiled wickedly. "Your strength will serve the Orici well."

"Wonderful," she said, rolling her eyes and balling her fists in front of her.

Daniel watched the exchange and hoped for some opening, some way he could get a shot through. But Vala was still too close to the prior and he was beginning to aim his staff directly at Daniel.

"You know, on second thought, I'd rather you didn't kill him right now. I'm not through with him yet." She brought her right elbow back, the one the prior wasn't holding, and thrust it into the prior's stomach just as the orb in his staff began to glow brighter. The prior suddenly dropped the staff and doubled over. Vala then kicked at his shins and stomped on his instep, before going down to her knees with her hands at her throat.

Daniel swiftly drew his berretta and shot once into the prior's chest. The man staggered back and looked down at his own blood pouring from his heart. When he raised his arm to attack them again, Daniel came forward and shot again and again until the prior fell backwards, dead.

Holding the gun on the prior, Daniel reached out a hand to help Vala up.

"The diversion did the trick then?"

Daniel bent down to feel for the prior's pulse. "I suppose there's a level of concentration necessary for them to use their mental powers." He stood up then, picked up the prior's staff, and backed away from his lifeless body.

"Daniel?"

"Let's go." He was so ready for this nightmare to be over.

Vala quickly found her zat on the ground and they made their way into the scout ship. Daniel closed the hatch while Vala sat at the controls and brought the ship online.

They found the coordinates for the supergate in the ship's computer and once they had cleared the planet's atmosphere, they set a course. Dialing was simple and before they knew it, they were on the other side of the wormhole in their own galaxy. _Piece of cake._ It almost felt as if it should have been harder.

It took a few minutes to calibrate the ship's navigation system to their home galaxy's star charts, and every so often Daniel caught Vala stealing glances at him out of the corner of his eye. He _was_ being rather quiet, but only because he had no idea what to say.

From the readings Panos had first taken on his scout mission, they knew exactly which planet to head for. It had a stargate and was uninhabited. They'd be able to land and contact the SGC and determine whether they should pilot the ship back themselves, or if a team of scientists should board and bring the ship in.

Entering the course on her console, Vala sat back and breathed out in relief. Turning toward Daniel who was still staring blankly out the window, Vala finally asked, "Are you all right?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Daniel turned to face her. "The question is, are you all right?" he asked as he reached a hand out to touch her cheek where the prior had struck her. He'd really been frightened for her, and he was now floored by a strong desire to kiss and hold her. But Vala had asked him not to. It had been weeks, and he had hoped that she would eventually let him in, but she had remained simply friendly with him at all times.

"I'm fine." She didn't push his hand away but held it to her cheek and smiled at him. "Part of me is accustomed to that kind of abuse."

Daniel looked her straight in the eyes, and he thought, for a second, he'd seen her again, the real Vala, vulnerable yet strong. But just as suddenly, she was gone, surrounding herself by her mysteries as she leaned in close and kissed him on the cheek.

"I have a feeling that will be the last time I'll be able to kiss you for quite a while," she smirked as she leaned back in her chair. "You'll go back to being Dr. Jackson the hermit when we get back, won't you?"

She couldn't fool him completely anymore, but she did keep him guessing. Daniel sighed and watched her relax comfortably at her console. "So what part will you be playing? Space-pirate? Seductress? Nun?" Daniel's eyebrows rose inquisitively.

"Well, I'm not quite certain at the moment. Do you have a preference, darling?"

Daniel just shook his head. "I'll follow your lead."

Vala smiled back at him then, turning to face the console, she studied the terrain on the planet they were about to visit. Daniel looked over at the readout and pointed to a secluded clearing very close to the stargate. "There. We can land in this clearing in front of the gate. When we contact Stargate Command, they'll likely send a team to check us out and the rest of the area."

They dropped out of hyperspace and approached the planet. "First thing when I get back, I want a hot bath and a hot meal and a large bowl of chocolate ice cream and—"

"You _do_ realize we're going to get checked out in the infirmary first. It'll probably take hours."

"Fine," Vala groaned, then she keyed a sequence into the console and began their descent. "Let's just get this day over with."

Upon landing they powered down the ship and exited, then headed for the gate. When they got to the DHD, Daniel began dialing Earth.

"Whatever happens, Vala, just remember, I meant what I said before. You are important to me. That won't change when we get back."

She started to say something, but instead just nodded to him, then he entered his IDC code and hailed the SGC with his radio.

"We read you, Dr. Jackson," came Walter Harriman's reply a minute or two later. "SG-1 is gearing up to rendezvous with you."

"Agreed. We'll be standing by."


	15. Chapter 15

Barely fifteen minutes later, the gate activated and Daniel stood up from where he was sitting against the DHD. He helped Vala up next just as Sam, Mitchell, and Teal'c were stepping through the stargate, practically skipping down the steps toward them. SG-3 and another team came with them, presumably to pilot the ship back to Earth.

Sam gave Daniel a huge hug when she came up to him, it was almost half a minute before she let go. They all exchanged hugs after that, though they were careful of crushing Vala. They couldn't _not_ notice her heavy pregnancy.

"Seems like something was missing from the official report," Mitchell observed. "Had an interesting time, I guess?"

"One could say that," Vala replied, defensively holding a hand over her stomach next to Daniel and noticing the other teams who were respectfully trying not to stare.

Sam diffused the situation by asking Vala to show them the ship. She led Sam and SGs 3 and 16 aboard and indicated the various controls. "How far away is Earth?" Vala asked.

"About 26 hours in hyperspace," Sam replied. "Colonel Reynolds, Major Holby and their teams can bring the ship in. We'll gate back to Earth so you two can finally get home and relax."

Both Colonel Reynolds and Major Holby nodded to Sam that they were good to go. Everything looked to be in working order. SG-1 and Vala exited and watched the ship take off. Then they walked back to the gate to dial home.

"Seriously, I gotta know," Mitchell pestered.

"Caaaam," Sam warned.

"I don't wanna know, but I gotta know."

"Colonel Mitchell, perhaps now is not the time."

Mitchell hesitated as if he was going to drop his question, but then he asked anyway, "Heck, we're all thinking it…Vala, is Jackson here your baby's father?"

Sam rolled her eyes and Teal'c raised an eyebrow while Vala stepped back slightly. Daniel, however, set his arm around her waist and held her close. "As a matter of fact, I am…sort of."

Both Daniel and Vala had agreed that they'd keep the baby's conception a secret from the IOA and the rest of Daniel's government. Privately though, they'd decided they could tell the others on SG-1, as well as Jack, Landry and Carolyn.

"Sort of?" Mitchell asked.

"It's a lo-ong story," Vala replied.

"But one we're not entirely sure we want to tell the IOA."

"But you'll tell us?" Sam asked, clearly worried for the two of them. "Are you both okay?"

"We're fine. Really," Daniel assured her. "The pregnancy is just a mystery to us, and we'd like to keep the government out of it."

"A reasonable request," Teal'c surmised with his customary nod. "Should we not return to Stargate Command? I am certain the two of you are looking forward to your medical check-ups."

"Oh, yes. Please, do the honors, Muscles." Vala wove her arm in Teal'c's. "I'm simply dying to see Dr. Lam again."

As the stargate sprang to life, they all stepped through and Daniel finally started to relax. They'd made it home.

Each of them checked in their weapons with the armory sergeant at the bottom of the ramp and proceeded toward the central elevators taking them to the infirmary.

"Well, tell us, what's been happening since we left?" Daniel asked when they reached the elevator.

"Cassie made dean's list again this semester," Sam replied first, shrugging her shoulders.

"Colonel Mitchell has been seeing Doctor Lam on a regular basis."

Vala laughed out loud while Mitchell glared at Teal'c. "T, I told you that in confidence, man to man." Then Sam laughed, too, and Mitchell turned on her, waggling his eyebrows. "Sam's been gone fishing in Minnesota every other weekend."

That shut Sam up and Daniel pressed his lips together to smother knowing laughter as they reached the infirmary level.

"Cam's actually been very busy," Sam said as they walked into the infirmary and each of them hopped up onto a bed, Daniel stopping to help Vala. "He got arrested for murder on Galar, got captured on P9G-844 and, well, you were accused of murder there, too, right?"

"Yeah," Mitchell answered, "but I was framed by the Galarans and got some help on the Sodan homeworld."

Sam held in a laugh as a few of Dr. Lam's nurses came in and started taking their vitals. "Yeah, but you also woke up Anubis's son on P3X-584."

Mitchell pulled the thermometer out of his mouth and protested, "Number one: that was a complete accident, and number two: do you really have all these planets memorized?"

"New guy," Sam teased, sticking out her tongue, then accepting a thermometer.

"Oh, and how many times did you all touch something accidentally or…or…" Mitchell finally shook his head in defeat. "Yeah, all right."

"Wait, back up." Daniel waved them to be quiet. "Anubis's son, as in the Goa'uld, Anubis?"

"Indeed, Daniel Jackson."

Daniel pulled a face and waved his hands in the air. "Well, explain already."

"There's not much to tell, really," Sam began, just after the nurse finished taking her blood pressure and heart rate readings. "His name was Khalek and he was essentially a clone of Anubis's pre-Ascended form. All of his lab notes were in Ancient, and well, since you weren't available, we called in for some help."

"Hehp?" Daniel mumbled around his thermometer.

"Jonas Quinn returned to assist in the translation of Anubis's research," Teal'c said, trying not to be distracted by the nurse's penlight shining in his eyes.

Mitchell continued, "He learned that Anubis was trying to enhance the clone genetically so he could ascend again. Khalek had all of these funky super-powers like telekinesis, self-healing, super-hearing or maybe telepathy."

Vala's eyes widened and she glanced quickly at Daniel. "Like the priors?"

Mitchell snapped his fingers excitedly. "Exactly! The IOA even came down and ordered that Khalek be studied to see if there was anything we could learn about his mental capabilities, anything we could use to defend ourselves against the priors."

"Not such a bright idea," Daniel remarked, staring off absently. "Let me guess, it backfired."

"Hell, yeah," Mitchell replied. "He killed a couple of SF guards and I guess that finally convinced Woolsey that we should send him back to the stasis chamber on the planet. But then Jonas figured out that probably wasn't the best idea."

"Khalek was just waiting to go back and get one more session in that lab," Sam finished. "It was likely the final step to ascension." Sam nodded to Mitchell and Teal'c. "We were able to prevent him from getting back to the planet and we also learned that with a well-timed diversion we could get past his defenses and neutralize him."

"You mean kill him, this pre-ascended, Goa'uld-human hybrid?" Vala responded and Sam agreed with a nod. Vala looked down at her hands and continued, a little more warily, "How did your IOA react in the end?"

Mitchell shrugged his shoulders. "Woolsey admitted that he'd made a mistake keeping Khalek around for study. But he also admitted that his hands were tied. We were in desperate need of something to take back to the check-writers." Mitchell paused. "My guess is he and the rest of the committee will be even more cautious about super-human prisoners in the future."

Daniel and Vala glanced at each other as Sam, Mitchell, and Teal'c got up from their infirmary beds. Dr. Lam rounded the corner then and looked over her nurses' readings.

"The three of you look fine. I'll get started on Daniel's and Vala's tests right now. Daniel, I should be done with you in about forty-five minutes to an hour. But I think I'll need to keep you, Vala, for about an hour, hour and a half."

"That should be good, doc," Mitchell said. "We'll come get you an hour, Jackson. Have fun!"

* * *

After his tests, Daniel got dressed in a fresh set of BDUs. Vala was dressed in some wonderfully scratchy blue scrubs and envying Daniel for getting to leave early.

"Were the tests any fun?" she asked with a wide smile and fake excitement.

Daniel returned her smile with a smirk of his own as he set a new pair of glasses on his nose. "Hmm…a full-body scan and a complete fluids test. Yeah, I'd say it was a pretty good sixty minutes." At that moment, Mitchell stepped into the infirmary's doorway. Daniel looked over his shoulder at him, then back at Vala. "I'm gonna go brief Landry on everything else that's happened since we last communicated." Leaning close to Vala he whispered in her ear, "If anyone asks, let's say it happened that night you woke up in the cave, all right?" He then looked at her stomach. She nodded back that she understood.

"Have fun, darling!"

"You too, princess," Mitchell called back as he led Daniel from the infirmary.

Dr. Lam walked in from her office. "Well, all set, Vala?"

"Of course, Dr. Lam."

"So, how are you feeling?" she asked, pulling out a medical file and taking notes.

Vala smiled back and replied a bit sarcastically, "Wonderful."

"Any injuries I should know about?" Dr. Lam lifted her head from the file.

"No, no injuries." Vala shook her head. "A couple months ago I was left on an altar for three days without food or water. Not too bad as far as torture goes."

Dr. Lam cocked her head to the side. "Hmm, I see."

* * *

Daniel and Mitchell met up with Sam and Teal'c in the briefing room. "I expected an IOA representative to be here as well."

"Tomorrow, probably," General Landry responded, walking in from his office. "Thank you, Colonel. And would you mind asking my daughter to get me those test results a little faster?"

"I'll light a fire under her, sir." Daniel, Teal'c, Sam, and Landry all turned to stare at Mitchell who lowered his head and shook it back and forth. "Really, _really_ bad choice of words," he muttered as he dialed the infirmary from the phone near the door.

Landry turned back around and offered his out-stretched hand to Daniel. "Dr. Jackson."

"General, sir." Daniel shook his hand.

"So, anything new to report about the crusade?"

* * *

"Well, this should be the last procedure," Dr. Lam announced, "and I think you might actually enjoy it."

"But, Doctor, I hope I haven't given you the impression that I didn't enjoy any of the other wonderful little tests and scans you've run," Vala jabbed playfully.

Dr. Lam smiled back and pushed up Vala's top to smooth a cool kind of jelly on her stomach.

"What's that?" Vala asked with a detectable amount of concern in her voice.

"We'll do an ultrasound now to take a look at the baby," Dr. Lam explained. "This is just a lubricant so that I can smoothly run this device over your abdomen." As she explained, a fast kind of underwater beating sound was heard throughout the room.

"Is that…"

"Your baby's heartbeat, and over here," the doctor pointed to a monitor, "is what your baby looks like right now."

Vala turned her head to the monitor and felt…well, whatever she felt it was indescribable. Joy, exhilaration, pain, hurt, anger. Good feelings and bad mixed together because this baby was anything but a happy miracle if she and Daniel were correct and it was actually an Ori child. She felt tears filling her eyes and she looked away from the monitor and wiped her face. "I'm sorry, Doctor."

"Don't be, it's a completely normal reaction." She lifted up the paddle and started to put her instruments away while giving Vala a towel to wipe off her stomach. "I've seen it with plenty of new mothers." Dr. Lam smiled as she helped Vala sit up straighter. "And I think at this point you can start calling me Carolyn. I did let you use my body for a while."

"Yes, thank you for that. It was nice to be back, even for a little while." Vala smiled back cautiously. She was in over her head a bit and she desperately wanted to talk to someone about everything, or at the very least have something to eat and lie down for twenty or thirty minutes.

"There's no need for you to stay here. I can release you to your quarters. But I'd like you to have something to eat and even take a nap. I don't like how pale you look."

"Believe me, neither do I, Doctor," Vala looked up and saw the concern on Dr. Lam's face, "Carolyn, sorry." She sighed in an exaggerated way. "Maybe I'll find a bowl of ice cream in the cafeteria."

Carolyn laughed a little to herself. "As long as you sprinkle some folic acid on it." She handed her a bottle of prenatal vitamins. "You're completely healthy, and I can see nothing wrong with the baby at this time, but these can't hurt either."

"Thank you, Carolyn."

* * *

"I suppose the last thing to report is that there seems to be a weakness in the priors' abilities," Daniel said. "One of them came upon us when we were trying to steal the ship. Vala zatted Panos hoping to convince the prior he wasn't in on the heist. She said she didn't have a clear shot at him or she would've zatted the prior instead. He struck Vala and I kept him talking to somehow distract him. He wasn't interested in talking though and was about to attack when Vala elbowed him and kept him focused on her long enough for me to shoot him. I had no idea it would work, but it seems there's a level of concentration needed to use their powers."

"We've determined that as well," Sam agreed. "We've actually been able to develop a device to neutralize their powers. Still, you both were extremely lucky."

"True," Daniel nodded. "But that's about all we know so far," Daniel said. "There should be more information in the scout ship's databases."

"Colonel Reynolds has been checking in regularly. They should be arriving sometime tomorrow." Landry stood to leave and so did everyone else. Sam and Mitchell went first, heading to the infirmary to check on Vala. Daniel was about to follow them when Landry spoke up.

"Even though you'd probably like nothing more than a quiet night at home, I was thinking of having a welcome home party for you and Vala back at my house tonight. Something to boost morale, I think."

"A party, sir?" Daniel asked cautiously.

"Nothing big, just you and Vala, the rest of SG-1, and Carolyn, of course, if I can get her to stop kissing Colonel Mitchell for long enough."

Daniel smiled shyly from Landry to Teal'c, who had remained behind. "I think I'd like that, sir, thank you."

"I'll get everything arranged then. Walter!"

"Yes, sir."

"I'm done for the day. Reschedule the afternoon's meetings and—"

"Already done, sir."

"And call ahead to the butcher's—"

"He's got eight filets set aside for you," Walter reported, then picked up some files on the table and made his way out of the room.

Daniel and Teal'c each raised their eyebrows and shared a look.

"Thank you, sir. I don't know what to say."

"Neither do I." Landry stood there baffled, staring out the doorway as Walter left. Shaking his head, he looked back at Daniel and Teal'c. "I'm probably going to get burned for this tomorrow, but you have my permission to leave the base unescorted. I'm sure you'd like to go home and relax. I'll take the heat from the IOA."

"I appreciate that, sir. But, maybe for protocol's sake, that is, if it's all right, Teal'c, maybe you can come with me. I wouldn't want us to get into trouble on my account."

"I would be happy to, Daniel Jackson."

"Thank you, son." Landry smiled and turned for his office once more. "Come on over to the house whenever you two are ready to eat."

The two men nodded to Landry and left the conference room as well. "Let's catch up to Sam and Mitchell. I wanna ask them something before we leave."

"As you wish, Daniel Jackson."

They picked up the pace and finally caught up with their teammates.

"What's up, Daniel?" Sam asked, hearing them approach.

"Do you know about the party Landry is planning tonight?"

"Yeah." Mitchell snapped his fingers. "We were gonna try to surprise you."

"It's okay, you can keep it a surprise for Vala if you want." He felt a goofy grin start to spread along his lips and he quickly pressed them into a line. "You're going to bring Carolyn," he guessed more than asked.

"Look, I know what T said earlier, and it's not like all the gossip going around," Mitchell tried to defend himself.

Daniel waved him off. "I don't really care about all that. I just need to explain some things and it might be easier if Dr. Lam is there tonight."

"Yeah, okay. I can make sure she doesn't blow it off."

"Thanks." Daniel paused. "Teal'c and I are going back to my apartment to see how much dust has settled on everything and kind of make it livable again. Do you think one of you could… I mean, I don't want Vala to be left here tonight."

"The party's for both of you guys," Mitchell assured him, "one of us will make sure Vala's got a ride."

"I'm picking up General O'Neill from Peterson Air Force Base," Sam commented. "The _Daedalus_ is on its way back from Atlantis, the _Prometheus_ is doing training missions with some new recruits, and the _Odyssey_ has just launched, but its systems aren't at 100% yet, including the Asgard beams." She laughed a little to herself. "He hates schlepping nowadays."

"That's Jack for you. Thanks, guys."

"No problem." Sam reached for his arm and squeezed it warmly.

Daniel nodded and both he and Teal'c took a few steps towards the elevators.

"Hey," Mitchell called and they both turned back. "After hearing what you guys went through out there," he paused. "Look, I'm just glad you both made it back in one piece."

"I concur," Teal'c said and nodded to Daniel.

He smiled back at them all. "Me, three."

* * *

"Vala," Sam greeted her and both she and Mitchell helped her scramble down from the bed.

"The tests went all right?" Mitchell asked.

"Yes, I think so," she replied. "Carolyn reported that I am 'fit as a fiddle' whatever that means," she said, waving her hands and shrugging her shoulders in confusion.

"It just means that you appear healthy," Sam replied with a genuine smile.

Mitchell nodded to them both then ducked around the corner into Carolyn's office.

"Did you need me for questioning?" Vala asked. "Carolyn said I was free to go, and I think there is a bathtub calling my name."

"Nope, don't need you for anything. I'm actually here to escort you to your new quarters. You've got the VIP suite now. Much better bathtub." Sam winked.

"That sounds heavenly." Vala smiled appreciatively. They stepped into an elevator cab and rode it to the level with the base personnel's living quarters.

Sam glanced over at Vala as they made their way down the hall to her new room. "You know, I meant what I said before, a few months ago when you'd returned. I appreciate what you did for us and I feel awful about what I said about you being a 'back-up singer.' I'm not usually so insensitive."

"It's fine," Vala told her, giving Sam a friendly smile. "Water under the bridge and all that."

Sam nodded in thanks. "Well, I want you to know that if there's anything you need or anything you want to talk about, feel free to come see me. My door's always open." They arrived at her room and Sam swiped an access card through the reader, then turned it over to Vala.

"Thank you, I appreciate it." Vala nodded, somewhat subdued. She tried to summon a smile but she was so tired. "I think I'm going to take that bath now, and then maybe take a nap. I—"

"Say no more." Sam held up her hands and smiled. "I'll get out of your hair now. I just wanted to make sure you knew you could rely on me."

Vala nodded again as Sam turned to leave, then she shut the door and turned around to look over her room. It was so spacious. A plant grew in a pot in the corner of one wall, and a round table and chairs occupied another corner. The bed was nice and wide, instead of the single bed she'd been given in her old room. She turned down the covers and drew her hands over the sheets. They were so very soft to the touch she practically fell down into the bed right then and there. _It might be nice to be a VIP for a change._

Peeling off the scratchy blue infirmary scrubs, she walked into the bathroom and started the water running. She sat on the edge of the tub and pulled off her socks and underwear, then slipped gingerly into the soothing, hot water.

Could it really be that this morning she awoke in the Ori galaxy and not even twelve hours later she was relaxing back at the SGC, safe and sound? Unfortunately, even as she formed the question, she knew things were probably going to get more difficult.

During Vala's check-up, Carolyn had tried to ask delicately if it was necessary to do a paternity test. Vala was suddenly very uncertain about what to say. She knew the people on the base saw her as some kind of vixen, hell-bent on tormenting their exalted archaeologist. She didn't want a paternity test to feed any rumors flying around that she might have slept with other men on the base. One: because it wasn't true, and two: because Daniel had already claimed the baby as his own. The rumors would only hurt him in the long run, false even as they would be.

But having the Ori tell him in a dream that the baby was his didn't really count as proof, did it? She so dearly wanted an actual medical test to absolve Daniel of any responsibility he might have for the child…and any guilt he might experience if the child did actually grow up with enhanced powers and spouting Ori propaganda.

In the end, she had told Carolyn that the test wasn't necessary. Daniel was the father, they'd shared one night together in a cave once she had woken up. She'd been unconscious for well over a day, almost two, and they had both been extremely relieved that she wasn't hurt in any way. She didn't have to elaborate any more than that. Carolyn had raised an eyebrow at first, but then seemed to accept the simple explanation.

This is what she and Daniel had decided a while ago. Daniel had said there was every reason to believe that their suspicions about the baby's true origins would not go over well with his superiors. _Tight arses_ , she thought, remembering her trip with him, Teal'c, and General Landry to that place called Washington. She closed her eyes and tried to relax once more.

When the water had cooled down enough to make her shiver, she finally sat up, stepped out of the tub, and dried off with a towel, and wrapped herself in a soft, fluffy robe. Walking out into the bedroom, she stopped at the dresser. All of her clothes had been moved in ahead of time, all of her sexy clothes that no longer fit her. She laughed then in a sad, hollow way, thinking the universe might actually be out to get her.

Then she noticed a short stack of clothes and a note in the middle drawer. Vala sat down on the bed and opened the note, thinking maybe Daniel had stopped by while she was in the bathtub, but it was actually from Teal'c. He wrote that these were some of his old SGC pants and shirts, all clean, and considerably larger than anything she probably had with her. He must've put them there before, between his check-up and their meeting in the conference room. She fingered the clothes gently and almost broke down in tears right then and there.

Here was a group of people intent on being kind to her and helping her through this difficult time, and she was nurturing the offspring of the Ori in her womb. How she loathed herself. How she hated being used like this, again.

She didn't completely understand why Daniel had wanted to keep his government out of their affairs. She didn't completely understand why Daniel was still being so protective of the child. It was becoming very obvious to her that she was carrying a ticking time bomb inside her. But even as she thought it, she couldn't bring herself to go down to the infirmary and tell Carolyn that she didn't want the baby anymore.

There had to be a reason for Daniel's behavior, she just had to give him a chance to explain it to her. But before she could think any more about it, she heard knocking at her door.

"Hey there," Mitchell greeted her.

She summoned a glowing smile for him. "Hello. _You_ don't need me for any questioning, do you?"

"Naw, everything's fine. I just came by to invite you out to your welcome home party."

"I…Well, I don't know what to say." Vala stood there in her bathrobe, stunned. "While I hardly ever say no to a party, I am rather tired tonight and I was hoping…"

Mitchell fixed her with a soft look. "Please come, Vala. It's just SG-1, General O'Neill, General Landry, and Carolyn. And Jackson will kill me if he thought I'd forgotten you."

Vala thought it over, then finally she gave in and nodded her head. _Daniel wants to tell them the truth._ "Yes. All right, then. Can I have a few minutes to get dressed?"

"Yeah, of course," he replied. "I'll just wait outside."

"No, you can wait here. I'll get dressed in the bathroom and be out in a few minutes," she said, picking up the stack of clothes from the drawer and shutting the door to the bathroom behind her.

She hurriedly got dressed in Teal'c's large cast-offs, then ran a blow dryer quickly through her hair. She tied her hair in messy pigtails and, surveying herself in the mirror, she decided she passed well enough. She stepped out of the bathroom and noticed Mitchell opening up a small duffle bag and smiling.

"Grab a few things, we're busting you out for the entire night."

"What?"

He walked past her into the bathroom and picked up an extra set of Teal'c's pants and another black T-shirt from the counter, then grabbed her toothbrush, hair brush, and hair dryer. "Need anything else?"

Vala sighed and walked over to her dresser, pulling out a small bag of essentials—some things she'd brought to the SGC and some things she'd picked up during her first stay here. She stuffed the whole thing into the bag in Mitchell's hands, and he zipped it up and slung it over his shoulder.

"Good. Now just one more stop 'til freedom," he smirked.

She followed him through the hallway to the elevator, and they rode it to the infirmary level.

"Wait here," he stopped her near the exam beds, "I'll just be a sec." He rounded the corner to Carolyn's office where Vala could still hear him talking. "Hey, gorgeous."

"You're as transparent as glass, you know that, Cam?" Vala heard Carolyn reply and she shifted closer to the office. The pretty, dark-haired doctor was looking up from her charts and laughing. "I know part of you is happy to see me, but a bigger part is tickled pink that Daniel and Vala are back."

"What? Isn't everybody?"

"Yes, but you're like a kid in a candy store," she snickered again, "literally bouncing with happiness."

"Hey, it's the band, Lyn." Mitchell shrugged. "I don't know how else to explain it."

"I know." Carolyn swiveled around in her chair to face him, then reached for his dogtags and pulled him down to her for a small kiss. Vala smiled knowingly and went back to the main door. Suddenly eavesdropping had lost its appeal.

A minute or two later, Vala heard the two of them getting up and moving closer to the door. "He left with Teal'c a couple hours ago, to air out his apartment, I think. My guess is she'll be staying with him tonight." Mitchell checked his watch and continued shooing Carolyn out of her office. "If you sit there much longer, you'll be late to the party."

"And we wouldn't want that, I guess," Carolyn said, lowering her shoulders in defeat.

Completely oblivious to Vala, Mitchell leaned over to kiss his girl one more time. "No, we wouldn't." Then he was striding to the main doors and leading Vala out of the infirmary, smiling contentedly.


	16. Chapter 16

Daniel unlocked the door of his apartment and let himself and Teal'c in; his first reaction was that it was entirely too musty. He knew it had probably been a few weeks since any of them had stopped by, but he couldn't help sneezing when he walked by a tall bookshelf in his hallway. Walking around, he felt at home but at the same time not at home, as if he was wandering around someone else's apartment, someone else's life. It felt way too quiet, which was strange because normally he didn't mind the quiet. He shook the maudlin thoughts from his head and walked purposefully to the kitchen, taking out rags and furniture polish.

"If you could help, Teal'c," he asked, handing over a rag, "just the tables, I think. I'll go take care of the bedroom and the bathroom and maybe strip the bed and wash the sheets."

"I will also open the windows, Daniel Jackson, and let in some fresh air. We had decided it would not be wise to waste power on the air circulation system."

"Yeah, good idea," Daniel replied, disappearing into his room. He dusted off his dresser and his nightstand, then went into the bathroom and wiped down the counter tops.

The whole apartment felt stale, and everything was just as he'd left it. A few of his notebooks were still lying on his bed and a spare set of glasses was sitting on top of his dresser, everything gathering dust. He put down his rag and stripped the sheets and comforter off his bed. Stuffing it all in a large laundry basket, he went out into the hall and past the kitchen to the washer and dryer and started a load.

Daniel stared entranced at the washing machine filling with water. Ever since their arrival in the Ori galaxy Vala had done these things for him, cared for him, played the part of loving wife. And now he was doing this for her, cleaning his apartment and washing his sheets in the hope that she would stay with him tonight and they could figure out this newest mess they were in.

He was gambling that the IOA wouldn't look kindly on the baby Vala was carrying, given how it was conceived, given that they couldn't adequately explain how it was conceived. And if they divulged the contents of their separate dreams and voiced their opinions that the Ori were somehow involved in the baby's conception, well, there was a distinct possibility that the IOA might force Vala to abort the child rather than let matters run their course.

Daniel was probably painting the IOA with a dark brush. It was entirely possible they wouldn't react that way at all, but he didn't want to take the chance. He wanted to make sure the decision was his and Vala's. And really, as much as he wanted to take care of the child, he was just as concerned about Vala and what all this was doing to her. Whatever she decided, he would stick by her and support her.

* * *

"They're ready to be flipped, Hank."

"My house, my barbeque pit, Jack. Have another beer and relax." Hank flipped a few of the steaks and sighed. "He's in there talking with Colonel Carter. You could go talk to him."

"I did talk to him." Jack walked over to the patio door and looked into the house. "I made him swear never to go off saving the galaxy again."

"And what did he say?" Hank turned over a few more steaks.

Jack took another long pull of his beer. "He said he'd think about it."

Hank shook his head and smiled with amusement. "The man knows how to take care of himself. And it seems Vala was able to keep him from getting killed."

"Yes, Vala." Jack sipped his beer again, wondering what this space-vixen was really after. _Speak of the devil._ He noticed her walk in and Teal'c moved toward her to show her around. "Showtime," he muttered and grabbed another bottle.

"You look well, Vala Mal Doran," Teal'c greeted and bowed his head.

Vala smiled warmly and reached up to kiss the big man on his cheek. "Thank you for the clothes, Teal'c. I think army green might be my new favorite color."

"It suits you well."

"Well, if it isn't the minx I've heard absolutely nothing about," Jack remarked dryly.

"Ja-ack," Daniel whined from the other side of the living room, making his way toward them, probably thinking he had to diffuse some situation.

Vala looked toward Daniel then back to face Jack with a calculating grin. "So you're General O'Neill. I must say, when Daniel and I visited before, I had expected someone much older." Her eyes traveled his face and he saw her studying him. Which was fine because he was studying her.

They stood there, silently assessing one another for a brief moment, all eyes on them, everyone waiting for what they would say next. When Vala straightened her posture just a bit, Jack nodded a fraction of an inch.

"Care for a beer?" he asked, handing over the second bottle in his hand.

"Thank you, darling, I'd love one." She accepted the drink and took a long sip.

"Jaaack," Daniel said, reaching for the bottle, but Jack took hold of his arm and lowered it. Daniel continued regardless, "Vala, you shouldn't."

"Relax, Daniel." Jack lifted his own beer to his lips. "Hers is non-alcoholic."

"Wouldn't want to harm Daniel's offspring, now would we, Jack?"

She had passed. Jack didn't realize he was going to test her or if he even consciously thought of it as a test, but she'd passed. She was strong, she didn't back down or cower. She stood her ground and trusted Daniel's friends. Trusted him. Not that she trusted blindly. Not at all. But she probably recognized that she wouldn't be tricked here, that she wasn't in danger. And a person who was capable of trusting others was on the right path for being worthy of trust. It was more analytical thinking than Jack normally did, and he brushed it all off as instinct a moment later, but that's what his gut told him. Vala Mal Doran could be trusted with regard to Daniel, and that was about all Jack needed to know.

Dr. Lam walked in only a few minutes later. "What'd I miss?"

"The staredown of the century," Mitchell laughed out loud. "You shoulda seen it."

* * *

"So, let me get this straight," Jack said, rubbing a hand through his gray hair. Dinner was over, Carolyn and Sam were clearing the plates and offering tea and coffee to everyone, while Daniel was explaining some of the details they'd left out in all their debriefings. "You were told that Vala's baby is yours… _in a dream?_ "

"Yes," Daniel sighed, "as I've repeated half a dozen times already."

"Sorry, that one just boggles the mind." Jack sat back sipping his coffee. "And you had a similar dream, Vala? Where some Ori priest told you the Ori impregnated you and that Daniel was essentially the father?"

"No, my dream was bit more…frightening in nature."

"Right, yours was the fiery skull thing."

"Jack," Daniel whined.

"Daniel," Jack whined back.

"It makes a certain amount of sense, sir," Sam interrupted. "As energized molecules in the beam that transported them to the Ori galaxy, I doubt it would take much to combine their DNA and implant the baby in Vala's womb when she materialized on the other side. It's probably as simple as genetic-engineering. And as ascended beings, somewhat outside the flow of normal space-time, they could have achieved this in the few seconds it takes to travel through the connecting wormhole." Sam was on a roll and even Jack's pained look of exasperation didn't stop her. "And maybe since her genetic make-up was tampered with in that way, that could explain why she was unconscious when the two of them arrived on the planet."

"It's a great theory, but where's the proof?" Jack turned to Carolyn as he asked the question.

"Well, there are prenatal paternity tests I could perform, such as an amniocentesis, but there are significant risks to Vala and the baby at this time. If you'd gotten back a few months ago, I'd have felt slightly better about these procedures." Carolyn paused for a moment, recalling what her safer tests had indicated. "As far as the timing of the conception, I'd put it right when they said it happened, within a day or so of them disappearing through the supergate. And for all intents and purposes, when Vala was left on that altar for three days without food or water, it should have had some effect on the baby. But I didn't see any signs on the ultrasound that the fetus suffered any trauma. As a doctor and a scientist, I can't explain it."

"You didn't want the IOA knowing, did you, Dr. Jackson?"

Daniel lowered his head slightly and turned to Landry. "No, General, I didn't. Sam, Mitchell and Teal'c told me about Khalek and how the IOA were burned by their oversight in keeping a Goa'uld-human hybrid as a prisoner. But even before that I had the feeling that they wouldn't like the idea of Vala carrying an Ori-human child." Then Daniel nodded toward Jack as he continued, "Maybe with all of us pulling strings and calling in favors we could get them to allow Vala to make the decision to keep the baby or not, but I honestly didn't want to give them the chance to say no. This way, we have a little time to think about it, weigh the situation."

"Very little," Vala whispered.

"You're talking about Shifu," Jack announced.

Daniel nodded his head once. Vala looked over at him and asked, "Shifu?"

The room was quiet as her gaze wandered around to each of them. Teal'c finally answered her. "The child of Apophis and Amonet."

"An harcesis child?" Vala replied in shock. "But that's forbidden. And what does that have to do with me and Daniel?"

Daniel turned toward Vala and frowned. "My wife, Sha're, was host to Amonet at the time. Sha're gave birth to Shifu, and Teal'c and I took him away from Amonet and Apophis. We left him with Sha're's father, but we later learned he'd been given over to the monks and priests at Kheb."

"The sacred world of the Jaffa," Vala said. "A place of peace and quiet meditation."

"We went in search of Shifu. I thought I could care for him in Sha're's absence. I thought I could be a good father for the baby. He was all I had left of Sha're. But in the end, he remained there. A year or two later, we found him again. He was older, having aged alarmingly quickly and again I thought it would be possible for me to take him in, to care for him. But he understood that I would try to use the genetic knowledge of the Goa'uld that he had access to in order to defend Earth. Even if I had the best of intentions, he knew that that kind of knowledge and power would be too much for me. So he left again."

"And you believe that this baby is similar and we can use it to defeat the Ori," Vala asked warily, sitting back in her chair.

"No," Daniel replied instantly, "not use it _against_ the Ori, but maybe protect it _from_ the Ori. It would be different now. I had always tried to do it alone before, without Sha're. But you'd be around, and it's possible together we could raise it and keep it safe."

"That's a tall order, Dr. Jackson," Landry pointed out. "Something tells me that if the Ori went to such lengths to impregnate Vala, they won't bat an eyelash when coming to find the baby you've both spirited away."

"As far as I know, the baby is innocent of all this. We don't know if it will have any kind of special abilities or powers." Daniel stopped suddenly and waved his hands back and forth. "But none of that matters right now. I just wanted to explain to you all what really happened, and why we…omitted things in our debriefings. Why I feel it's Vala's decision to make, and why I didn't want that decision taken away from her."

"I understand the gravity of the situation, Doctor, and in your place, I might have done the same thing." Landry sighed. "Your secret is safe with us. You'll be allowed to figure this out on your own." He turned then toward Vala. "I can't imagine what you must be going through, young lady, but please know that I promise to do what I can to help you both."

"Thank you, General," Vala said quietly, and Daniel nodded as well.

"Well, it seems I have some decisions to make," she said, looking around the table and finally settling her eyes on Daniel.

Jack pushed back his chair. "Have you got any pie, Hank?" Sam rolled her eyes and patted Jack's arm. "What? I always want pie after long, drawn out, galaxy-threatening discussions like this."

Slowly, everyone stood up and got ready to leave. Sam and Jack walked over to Daniel as he turned to Vala and asked whether she wanted to stay with him or with Sam for the night. "It's up to you, but either way, I think Sam should drive you back to the SGC tomorrow. General Landry's going out on a limb by letting us off-base unescorted."

"Out on a…oh, taking a risk," she realized, "and it would be easier on everyone if your government believed you and I remained supervised."

"Something like that, yeah."

"You're welcome to stay at my house, Vala," Sam said warmly. "Jack can stay with Daniel."

"But I don't think he has pie at his place." Jack whined dramatically, then winked at Vala.

* * *

From the conversation she'd overheard between Mitchell and Carolyn, Vala knew that Daniel had planned this night, at least partly. It always stunned her how caring he could be, especially for her, given how they met and how she antagonized him. She smiled then, sitting next to him in his car. She did enjoy antagonizing him. Getting under his skin, disrupting his composure. It was incredibly entertaining, and when she was living on the base months ago, it was just about her only form of entertainment.

"What are you laughing about?" Daniel asked, having glanced over at her for the third time while she'd been trying to smother her laughter.

"Oh, nothing." Vala smirked again. "Just reminiscing a bit."

"Okay." Daniel continued to drive and Vala could almost see the wheels turning in his mind as he tried to figure her out.

"So, I finally get to see where you live." She turned part way in her seat to face him. "I'm so excited I could burst. I bet your home is full of many wonderful trinkets and artifacts of enormous value."

"Your enthusiasm astounds me," Daniel remarked dryly.

"I know. It's amazing what you'll find of value lying around someone's home."

Daniel sighed and pulled the car into a parking garage. "I don't need to hear about your petty thieving, Vala."

It was just so easy to rile him up and she laughed to herself. Daniel parked the car and helped her out, grabbing her bag from the back seat and leading her to the elevator. He was always doing that, quietly helping her even as she was getting on his nerves. They walked into his apartment and he showed her around briefly. It was a beautiful home, full of things, things that symbolized him, but only that outward part that he showed the world. There weren't many things that told of the man within. But the man within was still there, in the absence of dust on the tables and countertops, in the box of saltine crackers on the kitchen table "in case she got hungry or nauseous later," in the pile of fresh towels in the bathroom, and the clean pajamas laid out on the bedspread.

"I know we talked a lot at General Landry's," Daniel said, walking up behind her and handing her a glass of water. "We don't have to decide anything tonight, about the baby or the IOA. Rumors will be flying around the base tomorrow, some people may think we'll move in together or get married." Vala raised an eyebrow at the suggestion. "Not that I'm proposing," Daniel stuttered quickly. "I'm just saying, some couples—people—do that even when they're having an unexpected child."

Vala regarded his babbling calmly. "Thank you for explaining about Shifu. I had no idea you'd been through this before."

Daniel shrugged off her comment. "It wasn't exactly the same as now. I don't know how we'll handle it, I haven't thought that far ahead, but I at least want to give it a chance. Give us a chance."

Vala raised her hand to Daniel's arm and got him to stop rambling. "It's okay, I understand." She smiled softly. "And I appreciate what you've done for me." He nodded back to her, accepting her thanks, and she turned from him and started undressing, picking up the clean nightclothes from the bed. She heard Daniel moving through the room to get his own sleepwear and then he walked into the bathroom. Vala fumbled through her bag while walking to the guest bathroom. Finding her toothbrush she contemplated what was developing between them. Her assumption two months ago was that he was feeling a great deal of pity for her. He was certainly attracted to her, and she'd slept with men for far less logical reasons. But something still stopped her from going to him now, only a small part being her girth and the overall unsexiness she felt about herself. Most of her problem was that her feelings were deeper than usual, and they scared her, and she was beginning to see that his feelings might be just as deep, and that scared her even more.

But Vala didn't _let_ fear control her, if she wanted something she went after it. She didn't usually think about the consequences or who she might hurt along the way. She walked back into Daniel's room and stared at the light shining under his bathroom door. But she couldn't hurt this man. This man who really saw her, behind her mask, who chipped at the walls she'd constructed to protect herself but still left some of them up for her to hide behind.

Vala sat down on the bed facing Daniel's bathroom door. As soon as he stepped into the bedroom, she gave him her most seductive smile. "I just want you to know that if I wasn't falling over with exhaustion right now, or the size of a small cow, I wouldn't mind having sex with you."

Daniel shook his head back and forth, yet caught up to the topic of conversation relatively quickly. "So we're closer to your terms."

"Yes. But I wouldn't want to embarrass myself by falling asleep during your no doubt excellent performance, so I'll try to refrain myself from pouncing on you tonight, as hard as that may be to imagine." She finished with a smirk.

Daniel walked up to her, turned down the covers, and helped her into bed. "We'll pounce some other night then," he said with a small grin. "I must admit, I wouldn't be very happy with my performance tonight either."

Suddenly, Vala took his face in her hands and pulled him down to her, kissing him deeply, opening herself up, thanking him for trusting her. Her insides tingled with joy when he kissed her back just as deeply, just as lovingly.

Daniel lifted his lips from hers and smiled at her without reservation. "We're still tired, right?"

"Believe me, I wish I wasn't."

"So, I could sleep here without fear of being pounced?"

Daniel walked around to the other side of the bed and Vala rolled over on her side to face him. "Definitely." He settled into bed and turned on his side to face her. Sleep came instantly for Vala, as she closed her eyes and wrapped Daniel's hand in her own.

* * *

"Can it, Woolsey!"

"No, I will not, General O'Neill." The balding IOA representative turned his icy stare on the other general in the room. "General Landry, I can't believe you allowed last night to happen, let alone organized it. Letting Dr. Jackson and Ms. Mal Doran off-base yesterday was a serious breach of security."

"Now, Mr. Woolsey, my doctors confirmed that they were completely healthy and free to leave the base. I didn't see any harm in having a welcome-home party, considering there were two generals, two colonels, a Jaffa warrior and an M.D. in attendance."

"You didn't see any harm…"

"Woolsey, we take risks all the time, calculated risks. This one was easy. Sorry, Hank."

"No, no, go right ahead, this is highly entertaining," Landry waved off Jack's apology with a smirk.

"A welcome-home party is one thing but to stay out overnight, to not return to the base until this morning. Protocols dictate—"

"It's not like we left them alone. I went home with Daniel to keep an eye on him and Vala stayed with Carter."

"Are you saying that you and Colonel Carter stayed awake to watch them the whole night? Anything could have happened, General, they could have slipped away undetected."

"I'm insulted you'd think I'd let my guard down so much, and I'd lay money on Carter, the specially trained Air Force officer, over a pregnant woman any day. No offense, Vala."

"None taken, General."

"Jack, please."

Vala nodded.

"This is entirely improper." Mr. Woolsey shook his head in disbelief. "I cannot fathom how this has happened. And especially how it started: an employee of the Stargate Program. I mean, she's pregnant. You've been gone for seven months."

"Sooo?" Daniel mumbled.

"Look, Woolsey," Jack tried again.

"I just don't understand how you could have let this happen, Dr. Jackson. I have to assume she seduced you in some way."

"Now hold on. A woman as attractive as Vala is does not need to resort to seduction to gain a man's interest. I admit I acted in haste and without a lot of thought, but I don't see any reason to insult the mother of my child and the woman who pretty much single-handedly destroyed the Ori's first attempt to gain a foothold in this galaxy, neither do I see the need to reprimand me in such a way that I feel like a randy teenager."

"I agree. He has me for that."

"Jack," Daniel said, "you're not helping."

"I'm simply shocked that you would…I can't imagine how this could happen…"

"That doesn't surprise me," Daniel muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"If I may speak?"

"I don't think so, madam."

"Mr. Woolsey. Be still before you have a stroke," Landry said, then nodded to Vala that she had the floor.

"Thank you, sir. Mr. Woolsey," she started, sitting back in her chair in a very relaxed way, "I believe Daniel is reacting with a great deal of hostility because of his chivalrous and protective nature, traits with which I'm not sure you are altogether familiar…"

"Madam," Woolsey started to fume.

"…but I believe I can reassure you that there will be no security risk to your Stargate Program. I do not intend to live off-base with Daniel."

"You will be remaining here? At the SGC?"

"For the duration of my pregnancy, yes. While we did pretend to be married for reasons of survival, this pregnancy is the result of a one-night affair. As we reported, I materialized on the ring platform unconscious and remained so for about a day and a half. Not that it is any of your business, but it was very cold when I woke up the second night in that cavern, and I imagine Daniel simply felt relieved to see me conscious. I will admit to a moment of weakness and we did agree that nothing like that should happen again.

"As for my remaining on base, I understand the need for regular medical check-ups and it's not like there are many other gated worlds in this galaxy which are particularly safe from the Ori. Not to mention, Daniel _is_ the baby's father and I would not want to separate them." She waved her hand in his direction as if that was mostly a given in her logic.

"But ultimately you want our protection."

Vala gave the weasely man her most perfect con-artist smile with a slight nod. "In exchange for any information with which I can provide you about any number of planets and peoples, yes."

"And for crying out loud, Woolsey, she's pregnant. Would you really turn her away?"

"You have to understand, there are protocols and security measures."

"Which she has agreed to comply with by remaining on the mountain. Haven't you been listening?" Jack continued.

"Well, as long as…I mean, since she has agreed to…"

"Fine. Richard, may I call you Richard?" Landry asked, getting the other man's attention by clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Let me have Sgt. Harriman show you to an office where you can read over all the reports in greater detail. SG teams 3 and 16 are expected in a few hours as well, and you'll no doubt want to see what they've discovered so far. Walter!" Landry called out the door then smiled back at Mr. Woolsey. "You can conduct your own interviews at any time throughout the day as soon as you're ready."

"Yes, well, thank you, General. That would be fine." Woolsey seemed to figure out he was outnumbered and clearly being dismissed.

"Excellent." Landry smiled wider. "Walter, give Mr. Woolsey whatever he needs."

"Yes, sir. Right this way, Mr. Woolsey."

"Weasel," Jack snorted under his breath. "You didn't have to do that, Vala. It's not going to be very fun here at the base 24/7."

"I'd decided last night actually." She still looked relaxed in her chair, if perhaps a bit more drained. "Daniel's here most of those 24 hours a day anyway. And the SGC can be rather exciting—at times—I hope," she finished with a small smile.

"I appreciate the decision you made, Vala," Landry offered, "and we will do what we can to make you comfortable."

"Thank you."

"You've been quiet, Dr. Jackson," Landry observed. "Is there anything else you'd like to say?"

"Pompous jackass."

"Well said." Jack clapped his hands together and stood up, stepping over to Vala's chair. "Lunch is on me. I hope they have blue jello today." Taking Vala's arm, he helped her up and led her out of the briefing room toward the cafeteria, Daniel following in their wake.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next few chapters incorporate some of the adventures and episodes from Season 9. I did say that Jonas was called in for the Daniel-heavy "Prototype" episode, but you may also rewatch the Season 9 episodes with Jonas in place of Daniel. It should usually work pretty well. I'm also shuffling the episode order in order to have a couple of suspenseful Daniel/Vala moments. You can comfortably rewatch "Ex Deus Machina," "Babylon," "Prototype" with Jonas," "Fourth Horseman Part 1 and 2," "Collateral Damage," and "Ripple Effect." Skip "Stronghold" and "Ethon" next and go to "Off the Grid" and "The Scourge." Yeah, the _Prometheus_ had been destroyed and the _Odyssey_ was in those eps so it's not perfect, but you could probably have the _Prometheus_ serve the same functions in "Off the Grid" and "The Scourge."
> 
> Anyway, hopefully you can follow along and still enjoy the story as well as Season 9.

Daniel sat in his office staring blankly at the computer screen. He couldn't concentrate on his work. He couldn't sleep at night. It had been a week since returning to the SGC and nothing was back to normal. He tore out the piece of notebook paper he was writing notes on and threw it toward the trash can.

"Hey there," Sam said, knocking softly on the door.

"What? Oh, hey." Daniel ran a hand through his hair. "How long you been there?"

"Five sheets of crumpled paper and a snapped pencil." She walked over to the trash can and threw away all his missed shots. "Come get a bite to eat with me."

"Sure, maybe there'll be something good in the cafeteria."

"Nope," Sam replied, leaning over his shoulder and putting his computer to sleep mode. "I think you should get off the mountain tonight."

Daniel hesitated. "I appreciate that, Sam, but I should probably stay here, in case…in case anyone needs me."

She walked away from the desk and stopped at the workbench to turn off the lamp. The only lights on now were Daniel's desk lamp and the overhead fluorescents. "Cam's on Vala-watch. No need to worry. Come on. Let's get dinner."

"Wasn't Mitchell visiting a friend in the Academy hospital today?"

"Nope," she replied. "That's tomorrow."

"Well, I…I just don't think it's a good idea for me to leave."

She smiled back at him. "Humor me. Besides, Vala thinks it's a good idea too. You _need_ to get off base, Daniel."

He was silent for a long time, he didn't want to go. He sighed loudly, he just wanted to wallow in his misery.

"I'm about ten seconds away from coming over there and pulling you up by your ears," Sam said sternly. "Come on, Daniel, let's go."

"All right, all right. I'm coming." He turned off his desk lamp and met her at the office door. "Can I at least have ten minutes to change my clothes?" Sam was wearing her civvies and a black leather jacket.

"Five minutes," she said with a smile, then turned off the lights and marched him to his quarters.

* * *

She drove them to a Mexican restaurant in Colorado Springs. Daniel probably would've eaten his meal in near silence just to get the night over with, but he needed to talk. He suspected Sam knew that.

"So, how's Vala doing?" he began.

"She's doing well. Not much better than you, but I think she disguises it better." Sam took a sip of her diet soda and continued, "She met with the base psychologist a day or two after you got back."

"Yeah, I remember that day," Daniel interrupted around a mouthful of enchilada, "oodles of fun."

Sam laughed. "Cam's told me stories about when she was here before, and how she drove everybody nuts, especially you. But it seems like she's calmed down quite a bit." Sam tilted her head, thinking. "No longer overtly flirtatious, but genuinely friendly and charming. Problem is no one knows what to make of it. First impressions and all that."

"I wish I could…" Daniel trailed off, pushing some food around with his fork.

Sam took another sip from her soda and leaned back on her side of the booth, waiting for him to relax and talk it out.

"It was pretty awful at first, Sam, having to pretend to be married to her. Pretend to love her. We _had_ to, of course, we couldn't trust anyone, but it was difficult. Keeping my annoyance and aggravation in check."

He pushed his plate away and leaned back as well. "But everything changed. Not all at once, over time. She became important to me."

"You only had each other. It's common enough for soldiers trying to survive in enemy territory."

"I don't think that was all of it. She's still important to me." They'd finally come to an agreement about their feelings and for once he felt like he was at last on solid ground with her. Then she made the logical decision to remain at the base. "I'm glad she's staying at the base," he explained quickly. "She'd be miserable and lonely at my apartment, and I…I'd be miserable about her being bored and alone. So it really makes sense that she should stay here where I can see her whenever I want."

Daniel could feel himself getting more agitated. "Except that, because of this stupid—albeit, most likely necessary—lie we had to tell the IOA, I can't see her whenever I want. Or smile at her affectionately, or hold her hand. I can't be with her like I want to, let alone go to her quarters at night…" Like he had those first three nights back at the mountain, just staring at her door, deciding whether he should knock or not.

"Must be rough."

Daniel looked up then and met Sam's eyes. "How did…how did you and Jack…" he waved his arm back and forth, "…survive? All those years with how you felt, how did you do it?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't know. Our military training. Knowing there was a bigger picture. Knowing that what we were doing in the Stargate Program was important and that the risk to get involved was too big." Sam finally sighed and leaned forward. "The point is, I know. And you have to stop beating yourself up."

Daniel shook his head. "Seven months ago I could barely stand her. Now I can't get to sleep without her. I'm only allowed to show her support and sympathy. Nothing deeper. If I appear affectionate or 'in love' everyone on base'll wonder why we don't get married or something else more permanent. But we can't do that because, because…"

"You're thinking too much, Daniel. Who cares what the base thinks? It's your life. It's yours and Vala's lives. When have you cared what the base thinks?"

"I don't. I just…" he trailed off.

Sam was silent for a moment. "Is it Sha're?"

"No." Daniel smiled, becoming a little more at ease. "Surprisingly, I think maybe I've finally gotten to a place where I can move on from all that pain and hurt." He closed his eyes and breathed in. "I guess I'm worried that I can't make Vala happy. That maybe she deserves more than the SGC, more than I can give her."

"Men." Sam rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Look, Daniel, you two seriously need to have a talk. Hey, I know it sucks that we live under a microscope at the base, I get that. But you guys coming back is just the latest news right now. It'll blow over and things _will_ get back to normal. Trust me." She stared at Daniel until he nodded back. "All right then. Your first mission is to get some sleep. You're an absolute wreck and Vala has not been able to stop worrying about you."

"She told you?"

A server came by with their check. Daniel moved to take it but Sam was quicker. "She cracked under my interrogation tactics." Daniel gave her a sideways glance and she shrugged back. "I withheld chocolate."

"Ooh, evil-Sam rears her ugly head," he teased.

"Remember, the point is you _both_ need to relax and take it easy."

Daniel nodded. "My first mission. Got it."

* * *

Sam had driven Daniel back to his apartment then picked him up the next morning to get him back to the base. He'd gotten six hours rest, a little more than his average over the last seven nights. It wasn't quite the eight or nine hours Sam was hoping for, but she admitted it was a start.

They both checked in on Vala, who was getting ready for a quick check-up with Carolyn. Sam needed to get back to her lab, so Daniel offered to walk with Vala to the infirmary. He asked about her evening with Mitchell, and she smiled brightly back at him and reported on the movies they'd watched.

Without meaning to, his heart clenched and he wished he could kiss her forehead or tuck her arm in his as they walked. So much for a good night's sleep curing his misery. To make matters worse, Vala seemed completely unaffected. She was bright and bubbly, smiling at everyone in the hallway. He'd noticed her doing that all week. Even chatting up Bill Lee and Walter whenever she passed either of them in the halls. And Sam was right, he could tell that no one knew what to make of her actions.

Once they got to the infirmary, Daniel asked, rather hopefully, if Vala needed him to stay. Vala cheerily waved him off, saying she and Carolyn were going to have some quality time together, no men allowed. Daniel pressed his lips together to hold back his frown as a nurse came by to help Vala onto an exam table. He finally called over his shoulder as he was leaving that he'd be in his office if she needed anything, and he pretty much fumed the entire way there. Daniel 0: Misery 1.

* * *

Vala smiled at a few scientists in white lab coats passing by as she walked into Daniel's office after lunch the next day. She hoped to maybe get a few more minutes alone with him after all these days. It felt unnerving at first, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was always being watched, that someone was always walking by or looking in on them when she was lounging around Daniel's office with a magazine. She would just love to tell all these gossip-mongers to mind their own business and leave her and Daniel alone, but that wasn't her role in this scenario.

Vala was Daniel's space-vixen as she'd learned while eavesdropping on said gossip-mongers in the cafeteria one day all those long months ago. _Some of these people need to get lives._ Having come back pregnant, well, all these brilliant people—by _their_ planet's standards—could do nothing but guess and whisper and hypothesize about the relationship between the world's top-ranked archaeologist and his sexy con-artist thief. Okay, maybe she'd added the 'sexy' bit.

And even though the role of space-vixen did have some perks, she really wanted to live and work with these Tau'ri people. Their goal to rid the galaxy of evil was noble if not farfetched. She honestly wanted to be able to help them if she could. And it didn't hurt that she got to be near Daniel, even if he was struggling with…well, with something. At least she _thought_ he was struggling with something. She'd hate to think that they'd lost ground after finally admitting to their shared feelings.

Thinking it over, he seemed to be avoiding her. Sure he'd eat with her—in his office when she brought him a lunch tray. And he'd stop by her quarters from time to time—to drop off some reading material on pregnancy that Carolyn had asked him to deliver. He'd ask how she was doing and then be on his way. Never coming in, never really talking with her. It was almost as if he was afraid to show any affection for her, which seemed absolutely ludicrous to Vala. Maybe he wanted everyone to believe that nothing had changed between them while they were in the Ori galaxy, that she was still a pain in his side. She mentally huffed. If that was the case, he was beating himself up over nothing.

Honestly, it would be completely natural for them to grow closer together being trapped away from everyone they knew for so long. Vala was willing to bet that a great many people on this base understood that. They'd see nothing unusual about the two of them caring about each other. Obviously, Daniel didn't see that.

Then again, he could be right, he knew these people better than she did after all.

At the very least, her sunny attitude and charm over the last week or so had produced a rather small gem of freedom for them. She looked around the empty office again and sighed. Daniel just needed to be here for them to take advantage of it.

All of a sudden, the object of her musings swept into the office and went over to his desk, looking through files and clearly agitated.

"What's wrong?" Vala asked from the corner of the room.

"Huh?" Daniel looked up, distracted. "Oh, sorry, didn't see you there." He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, then plopped down in his desk chair, breathing out slowly, covering his eyes with his hand.

"Daniel, what is it?" Vala asked again firmly, closing the door and taking a few steps toward him.

He leaned back in his chair and exhaled again loudly. "I have to go. Bra'tac is here and he told us that Teal'c is missing, he suspects captured. I'm going back with him to Dakara to help." Daniel stood up wearily. He looked exhausted and worn out.

Vala took the last few steps closer to him, and cupped his face in both hands. "Find him," she said. "Be careful. And come see me when you're back." She finished with a tender kiss, soft and sweet and, with any hope, a little rejuvenating.

Daniel shook his head as he pushed away slightly, both hands on her hips, putting a few more inches between them. "Vala, we can't. There's a security camera in the corner of the room." He tilted his head slightly in its general direction. "We're being watched."

Vala glanced over at the wall clock and took another step back from him, a more respectable distance. "We are now, but not a moment ago. Charm and even a little flirting can get a lot of things accomplished," she said cryptically with a final wink.

"I don't understand." He squinted at her yet also gave her a small half-smile that the camera probably wouldn't pick up.

"I'll explain later. But you need to help Teal'c." She walked toward the door and opened it. "Go find him," she ordered. "And be careful not to injure that handsome body of yours," she said a touch louder for anyone out in the hallway to hear and further whisper about later.

They stood in the doorway and Daniel looked up and down the hallway for people passing by. It was empty, so he reached out to squeeze her hand. "I'll come see you when I get back."

Vala nodded and walked away in one direction toward the elevators and her quarters, wringing her hands together in worry. She turned back to see Daniel lock the door to his office and hurry off in the other direction toward the gateroom. She raised a hand to her lips and bit at her thumbnail.

* * *

Daniel thought about knocking on her door even though it was well after three o'clock in the morning. He had to make a decision fast on the off-chance that someone else would be wandering this level's halls late at night too. In the end, he tested the doorknob and discovered that the magnetic lock on the door controlled by the card reader was disengaged. He could open the door and go right in.

Vala sat up immediately as he entered her fully-lit quarters, upsetting the mountains of magazines, comic books, and CDs all over her bed, each one a loan from either Sam's, Mitchell's or Teal'c's collections. None of them were Daniel's, again, him not wanting to show too much sympathy for the woman who had supposedly turned his life upside-down. But he was here now, because she had somehow been able to make it happen, to let him know they could drop the façade for a while. As he shut and manually locked the door behind him, he watched her clear off the bed, dumping her distraction efforts unceremoniously on the floor. She was about to get up and come to him but he waved her back down into bed and instead sat down next to her and started unlacing his boots. He was going to stay. He'd decided it as soon as he entered her room.

"Teal'c is fine now. We found him." He finished with one boot and tackled the other, hearing her sigh of relief and letting it warm him. "I'm sorry I couldn't come back in between and tell you everything we'd learned. It all happened kinda fast."

"I got Walter and General Landry to fill me in on most of it."

"Charm and a little flirting?" Daniel asked.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Well, I have learned over the years that flirting doesn't work with everyone. Though Walter appreciates the attention, I think." Vala paused and looked away, focusing on the glass of water on her bedside table. "But he's a good person, and I think when I wandered into the control room, he could sense that I was worried about everyone." She reached for the glass, took a sip, and then continued, "Anyway, he let me in to see Landry, who obviously knew of my concern and told me not to worry. He said to get some sleep and before I knew it you'd all be back." She replaced the glass on the table and fussed with the comforter.

Daniel looked quietly at her, lifting her chin. "But you couldn't sleep, could you?"

Vala let out a short laugh. "I haven't slept well since the night at your apartment," she admitted, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it in comfort.

"Well, at least I'm not the only one." Daniel laughed back. Smiling brightly again, he kissed her cheek and stood up, not letting go of her hand. "Come to the bathroom with me and tell me what you've been up to this week. I'm dying to know about the camera thing, but I've got to wash all this dirt and mud off me."

"Thank goodness, because as much as I adore you, darling, I wasn't about to let you in my bed smelling like Ber's pigs," she teased.

Daniel stripped out of his socks and T-shirt, then started the water in her shower. "I think I might smell worse." Getting the temperature just right, he looked back over his shoulder and noticed her silence and maybe a trace of shock that he was letting her watch him undress and shower. He caught her glancing back toward the bedroom as if she thought he'd appreciate the privacy, but it was only a glance caught out of the corner of his eye.

He turned around then, placing his glasses on the sink counter and opening the closet door for some towels. "Seriously, Vala, tell me about the camera thing." He started unbuckling his belt and couldn't help noticing her wide-eyed yet extremely pleased stare. Daniel smiled back and even though this was unusually strange behavior for him, he gave her a pretty good reason for it. "I'm really exhausted and could probably fall over in your shower if you don't keep me awake with a good story," he said, facing the shower once again and stepping out of his pants and boxers in a single fluid motion.

"Well, I…um," she started.

He could hear the indecision in her voice, he could almost feel the heated stare she was no doubt giving him. _Talk about role reversals._ He tested the water once more then stepped into the shower and shut the sliding, frosted-glass door. _She was probably cursing that particular shower feature._

"Camera man?" he called to her over the sound of spraying water.

"Yes, right. Well, it was all part of my rounds as I tried to re-familiarize myself with the base last week…"

The sound of her voice soothed him about as much as the hot water beating against his sore muscles. Daniel figured he should probably be analyzing his bizarre conduct, but after living together in the Ori galaxy, this really wasn't anything new. All right, sure, she'd only been present while he bathed that one time, when he'd first been conscripted for duty at the Ori construction grounds, but it honestly didn't bother him at the moment for her to be here.

"…and the technician, Timothy, is a rather shy man. The poor thing was very easily led to help me…"

Yeah, the flirting thing with the camera guy bothered him at first, but with everything they'd been through together, he truly knew he could trust Vala. It was simply that plain to him.

"The thing is Theresa in exo-zoology has a bit of a crush on dear Timmy. And so I thought I'd do a little match-making."

_Huh?_ He blinked.

"You haven't fallen asleep on me, darling, have you?"

"Nope, I'm still with you," he called back. "Just rinsing off. What happened next?"

"Well, Timmy is very happy now and happy people like to do favors. He asked how he could help me in return and I said it was nothing, I just wanted to help. But he wouldn't hear of it and insisted that there might be something he could do. So I thought about it for a minute and admitted that I was becoming more than a little frustrated with all the eyes on me all the time, indicating the security cameras. He frowned, understandably so, and said there wasn't much he could do about that."

Daniel turned the water off, opened the door, and grabbed a towel from the counter. He gave her due credit, her storytelling didn't waver a bit.

"So I said I wasn't asking much, just five minutes now and then where I could use my wiles on you in your office unobserved." She smiled winningly. "I love saying this: 'the rest is history.' He's giving me five minutes of camera-free time in your office every day on his shift when the other security technician goes for coffee."

Daniel finished drying off, carefully keeping one towel around his waist, while Vala held up a clean pair of his old boxers for him. Now he produced a shocked look of his own.

Vala shrugged as she handed them over and walked back into the bedroom. "They were more comfortable to sleep in than anything else I had when I first got here."

It should've hurt. Seven months ago it would have hurt badly. All her sneaking and spying. All the innuendos and petty-thieving. It had always put him on edge, always thinking she was only around to mess with him. He watched her climbing into bed, and he waited for it, but there was no hurt.

She'd known what she'd wanted from the beginning and done things to make it happen. Her determination was sincere and steadfast. Sure, some of her actions were deceitful, but she hadn't hurt anyone. She just hadn't believed anyone would trust her. And she had no reason to either. Some behaviors become habit after all. But Daniel believed she was changing her ways, he started to believe she might be happy here with him.

He climbed into bed next to her, glancing at a clock that glowed a red 3:52. They turned on their sides facing each other and reached for each other's hands.

"How tired are we tonight?" Vala asked.

"Too tired," Daniel admitted. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." She let her eyes close with a smile. "I've got more than a few juicy images to dream about. And to be honest, I'm actually looking forward to a good night's sleep."

"Me, too." Daniel smiled back, shifting closer to curl his arms around her. Then he touched her cheek and found her mouth with his. He gave her a searing kiss, one that left them both breathless. "Mmm…Now I'll have some good dreams as well. 'Night, Vala."

"Boy, Daniel," Vala whispered into his chest, still catching her breath, "you do know how to torture a girl."


	18. Chapter 18

"Hi, Muscles, how are you feeling?" Vala greeted Teal'c at his quarters.

"Much improved, Vala Mal Doran, thank you."

"I'm glad to hear it," she smiled, "we aliens need to stick together."

Teal'c merely smiled and bowed his head.

"Well then, the other reason I'm here is to see if you have anything you want to add to my laundry basket. I don't quite have a full load."

"My clothes _are_ in need of a washing. I will accompany you."

Vala's smile lit up the corridor. "Even better!"

They walked together toward the base's laundry facility, both wearing standard SGC uniform pants, black T-shirts, and combat boots.

"I take it my cast-offs are still agreeable to you."

"More than agreeable, Teal'c, thank you. They're nice and worn, so the material is much softer than the newer uniforms I'd been given way back when. And even though Carolyn and Samantha took me out shopping, all the maternity clothes look so…maternal, you know? Pastel colors and flowers and rainbows." Vala squinted her face thinking about it. "I don't know, it's just not quite me."

When they arrived, Vala shook out a few of her peasant dresses and loaded them into the washing machines, along with a couple of Daniel's shirts.

"Is that why you are cleaning the clothes from your time with the Ori?" Teal'c asked with obvious confusion.

"Oh," Vala looked up from the machine. "No, I'm thinking of making a quilt, for the baby." She turned the water on hot and measured a good deal of detergent. "I thought maybe I'd cut up the dresses and sew the material together to make a blanket. Daniel's shirts will make the back of the quilt, and I'm using a pillow for the stuffing." She held her finger to her lips and winked. "Don't tell the Pentagon I destroyed a pillow."

Teal'c bowed to her once again. "Your secret is safe with me."

* * *

As soon as Daniel and Vala had made it back to Earth, Stargate Command had disclosed the coordinates of the supergate to all their allies. The Jaffa, Tok'ra and SGC all took shifts keeping the gate under constant surveillance. Any activity would be instantly reported. The Asgard were also consulted, and during the _Prometheus's_ surveillance shift, the dialing panel was located and Sam was able to switch out a control crystal for one of their own. The _Prometheus_ was able to successfully dial out and thereby keep the Ori locked out of the Milky Way.

Of course, that wouldn't stop the Ori from creating another one, but at least the one they knew about was blocked.

Meanwhile, science teams delved into the data brought back with the scout ship. Engineers went over every detail of the ship in order to enhance the shields on the current fleet of 304s.

Vala felt certain that they'd find a way to protect their ships and didn't think her involvement was necessary. However, she did ask Sam one day about the communication stones and if she might try using one to tell their friends in the resistance that they'd made it back all right. The request stunned Sam a little but she still brought out the emulator computer program and showed Vala the stones. They were working on making a device of their own like the terminal, but there was still a lot they didn't understand about the data.

Vala didn't mind being a guinea pig in this case. She just wanted to know if Kira, Denya and the rest of them were okay. She and Sam agreed that if Vala seemed to leave after the stone was activated, then Sam should shut the program down in three minutes to disconnect Vala. They could always turn it on again if Vala wanted to go back. They also didn't tell Daniel right away, which Sam very reluctantly agreed to.

Vala picked up the stone, but nothing happened. She remained conscious and in her own body. Sam explained that it was very likely because they didn't have a terminal on their end. But at least this way, if anyone in the Ori galaxy still needed to communicate with them, Vala would probably be the receptacle.

Vala nodded and tried once again to push her worries aside. Though at least once every few days she could be found in Sam's lab, holding a communication stone and watching Sam's emulator program, hoping for…something.

Other than that, she had briefings with various SG teams who were in charge of gathering intel on the Lucian Alliance. Vala reported on all she knew about the Alliance, even though she admitted her information was over half a year old. She doubted things changed much in the Alliance hierarchy, but she still cautioned the teams about her knowledge.

No one found it a bit surprising that her most common location was in Daniel's office. What was surprising was that she only rarely read parenting books or popular fashion magazines. She was frequently found arguing with the esteemed linguist about some Goa'uld translation, or debating heatedly the best way to sway people that the Ori were just another set of false gods. Daniel would side on arguments of logic and reason, and while Vala agreed that everything he said was true, people usually responded better to actions.

Some noticed that, even though the two bickered and fought, they nearly always came around and acknowledged the other's point of view. And only a spare few had caught Daniel going to Vala's door late at night, or leaving her suite early in the morning. There were whispers and gossip, but it was low-key and never meant to hurt anyone. Many even defended Vala if the gossip got really bad, especially those from the medical units who had witnessed her healing villager after villager on P8X-412, or the science teams who realized she'd risked her life to steal an Ori ship for them to study. If they kept watch on the alien and Dr. Jackson, it was only to see what would happen next in their developing relationship, because there seemed to be something there—that was obvious to everyone.

As far as Vala was concerned, she wouldn't have minded if Daniel came to her quarters every night, but more often than not he'd fall asleep at his desk. If he woke up in the middle of the night, he'd usually shuffle to his own quarters instead of Vala's. He'd told her once that he didn't want to always be waking her up. She'd reminded him that their baby kept her up half the night anyway, but she also kindly said she appreciated his thoughtfulness.

Whenever he did crawl into her bed, there was the occasional tingling, toe-curling kiss, but it never blossomed into anything more than that. And she honestly didn't know what to make of it. Part of her wanted to let him know that she'd be open to more, but another part whispered hurtful words to her, that he'd never enjoy sex with an ugly, fat, pregnant woman. Vala hardly ever listened to this voice, but it was still there.

Instead she tried to rationalize Daniel's actions. It seemed quite possible that maybe he didn't want to have sex in the same place where he worked. That maybe he couldn't quite be himself here. Vala liked that explanation, so whenever the evil voice in her head whispered to her, she used that as the counterargument, refusing to believe that her Daniel might find her pregnancy unattractive.

About a month after they'd arrived back on Earth, there was an incident on a planet called Tegalus. Vala was unfamiliar with it but apparently Daniel and the rest of SG-1 had a tenuous relationship with its people.

"Rand has control of the stargate on Tegalus, and has been in a cold war with its neighbor, Caledonia, for decades," Daniel explained to Vala in his office. "It's a long story but a prior has offered a satellite weapon to Rand in order to wipe out Caledonia if they don't convert to Origin. I don't know if there's much we can do, but we've got to try."

"You're going to try to negotiate with them?" Vala asked incredulously. "Any society mired in a cold war seems just as fanatical as the Ori followers. You may not be able to get through to them."

"Well, that's where the _Prometheus_ will come in," Daniel replied. "Sam says the early schematics of the satellite show no defenses of any kind. We'll destroy it to protect the entire civilization."

"But isn't that a little bit like taking the choice from them?" Vala argued. "If they want to blow themselves to kingdom come, why not let them?"

"You don't really mean that, Vala."

She hesitated, but finally replied with a sigh. "No, I guess not. I just don't want you to go. Another bad feeling, I guess." She shrugged.

"I have to do _something_. When we gated to Tegalus, we completely disrupted their society. There were already tensions and problems, but we just exacerbated everything."

"You can't blame yourself for their people's differences."

"No, but they need to know the truth about the Ori before they resort to genocide," Daniel said finally. "I can at least do that."

Vala realized there was nothing she could say to make him stay. If she were in his position, she might even feel the same, maybe. It still didn't make her feel any better though.

"Just, come home safe, please," she pleaded, squeezing his hand and kissing his cheek.

Daniel kissed her back softly, then left to meet up with Kane, the Rand senator. Vala didn't see him again for three days.

The wait was interminable. Sam, Teal'c, and Mitchell had left on the _Prometheus_ as soon as Daniel failed to check in. Sam had tried to assure Vala that the ship's shields had been retrofitted to withstand Ori weapons, and so the satellite shouldn't pose a problem, but Vala could barely calm her worries.

When word arrived that the _Prometheus_ had been destroyed by the satellite weapon, Vala had been at the doorway of the control room, about to ask Walter if he'd heard anything. Her heart clenched, her lungs seized, and her abdomen contracted. She gripped the wall in an effort to keep herself from falling to her knees. Someone noticed her next and immediately went to help her sit.

Walter ordered someone to call the infirmary as he knelt in front of Vala. He assured her that in his almost nine years with the Stargate Program, SG-1 had always come home after disasters like this, always. She nodded to him, hearing his words, letting them soothe her, knowing somewhere in her heart that he must be right. The universe couldn't keep doing this to her.

* * *

When she woke up later in the infirmary, Daniel was sitting beside her, smiling and relieved. She was too afraid it was a dream even when she saw the rest of her friends stand up and greet her. Sam, Teal'c and Mitchell were all there. She only believed she was actually awake when Carolyn stepped into view and reminded her that the pains she had felt were false labor. Vala was ordered to take it easy for the next few days, and to come by if she felt any more contractions.

Vala nodded and her friends helped her from the bed. Each of them gave her a hug and she laughed as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I don't know how you all do it. And I finally have a little bit of sympathy for Jack."

"We're all addicted to caffeine and adrenaline," Mitchell commented. "Everyone except Teal'c, whose drug of choice is tretonin."

Teal'c dipped his head in a single nod.

"No honestly," Vala continued, as they all left the infirmary for the cafeteria and snacks, "it's no wonder Jack's hair has gone all gray. You guys really need to swear off saving the galaxy."

"General O'Neill has a club," Sam joked. "He'll probably let you in after today."

* * *

Daniel didn't even hesitate when he walked Vala back to her room that night. He walked in after her and locked the door. Vala waited until he turned around and then stepped into his outstretched arms.

"Can I just hold you for a minute?" she asked.

Daniel wrapped his arms around her shoulders and back and held her tightly. He hadn't meant to scare her. When they'd gone to the infirmary to be checked out and he saw her lying in a bed, he'd almost lost it. Dr. Lam explained that she'd suffered from acute, stress-related false labor. The contractions had eventually passed and Vala was encouraged to stay in the infirmary for rest and observation. Her body had dutifully complied and fallen asleep in no time.

He'd only had to sit there a few minutes after his check-up before she woke up, but they were very, very long minutes.

"Maybe we should think again about you staying at my apartment. Stargate Command is probably way too stressful for you."

Vala shook her head. "You never go to your apartment, and when I'm here I can get information much faster."

"That's what I'm worried about. If you hadn't been outside the control room you wouldn't have had those labor pains." He kissed her forehead. "And the only reason I don't stay at my apartment is because you're here."

Vala sighed happily, and lifted her gaze to meet his. "We are a pair, aren't we? How about I swear to stay out of the control room, and you swear to only go on missions studying dusty, dead civilizations?"

Daniel grinned at her then looked over her shoulder and down her back at her crossed fingers. "Cheater." He kissed her nose.

They undressed and got ready for bed, slipping under the covers and curling up in each other's arms. Vala was wearing a sleeveless, cotton maternity top and soft pajama bottoms, but it was probably the sexiest thing he'd ever seen her in. His insides electrified when he rubbed his hand up and down her arm. He not only wanted her, he needed her, but after the day she'd had, he couldn't fathom subjecting her to the force of his desire. So he tamped it down as best he could.

When she reached for him below the covers, he simultaneously wanted to push into her hand as well as recoil.

"You need to rest, Vala," he reluctantly pushed her hand away with his, "doctor's orders."

In the dark, Daniel felt Vala sit up and clutch her knees. She took a long, deep breath, then another.

"Daniel, I need you to be 100% honest with me. Are you stopping me because Carolyn said I needed rest…or because you don't want me?"

He immediately sat up with her. "Of course I want you. But you were told to rest, and sex is not rest."

Vala blew out a relieved sigh. "Okay then, we won't have sex. But let me do this for you. I want to give you some release."

"It's not necessary, I'll cool down—"

She interrupted him with a kiss and fell across him as they lay back on the bed. "All you need to do is lie there and let me do all the work, all right?"

"Vala, I can't use you like—" He moaned into her mouth as her hand found him again and pulled up hard. She worked her hand under the elastics of his pants and boxers next. Her cool hand felt refreshing and invigorating on him.

"Please don't fight me, Daniel," she said while stroking him. "Besides, I get a silly kind of pleasure when I drive you crazy." She kissed him again, long and slow. "Let me…care for you. Let me do this."

He nodded and returned her kisses. She wanted this, he wanted this, what could be wrong? He was already shirtless, but he helped matters along by removing his pants and boxers. When he lay back down, he slid his arm under her shirt and caressed the underside of her breast.

Vala leaned up on her elbow to get a better grip on him, her lips never breaking contact with his. Her position above him gave him a better angle as well. Her breasts would be extra-sensitive now, so he concentrated on teasing her nipples gently.

She responded with eagerness, twisting her hand around his erection in tightening half-circles. She was good, pumping him up and down rapidly. He could feel his release coming, inwardly berating himself for letting it happen so fast. He let go of her breast and lips suddenly and reached down on the ground for his boxers. Covering her hand and himself at the last possible second, he groaned and fell back in boneless relaxation.

When he had finally caught enough breath for words, he said, "Talk about torture."

"Tell me about it," Vala agreed. She got up and went to the bathroom to wash her hands. She returned a minute later with a wet cloth for Daniel. "Turns out when I torture a man, I end up torturing myself in the process." A small nightlight in the bathroom lit up the wink she gave him.

"I promise to return the favor," he said, pulling his clean pajama bottoms back on.

"And you know very well I intend to collect." Vala kissed his nose and laid her head on his chest.


	19. Chapter 19

Of all the ways to wake up in the morning, she liked Daniel's gentle touches the best. From tracing circles on her back, to skating his knuckles up and down her arm, to now, when he scattered soft butterfly kisses across her stomach. In moments like these all their problems seemed galaxies away…until the phone rang and brought them back to reality.

"Don't answer it," Daniel mumbled against her stomach, inching her top and his mouth up her body."

Vala sighed when his lips reached their destination. "But it could be important. I _am_ a VIP, darling." She didn't really want to answer the phone, but there was a chance it was Sam with news about the communication program and maybe Kira and Denya. Before the final ring, she picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello, ma'am, it's Sgt. Harriman. I hate to disturb you, but is Dr. Jackson with you by any chance?"

"Daniel?" The man in question lifted his head and raised an eyebrow. "You've called his quarters and his office already." Vala echoed Walter.

"Dang it," Daniel muttered under his breath and immediately leapt out of bed and headed for the shower.

"Have you checked the cafeteria? You know how he needs his coffee in the morning."

"We made a base-wide announcement, but we don't usually broadcast the announcements in personnel quarters," Walter replied. "Anyway, he hasn't checked in yet, and he didn't sign out at the main gate, so we don't think he went home to his apartment last night."

"Yes, good thinking, Walter." She heard the shower shut off and bit her lip. "Look, um, I think he'll be there in five."

"Thank you, ma'am. I'll tell everyone he finally returned our call from his quarters."

"Thank you." She hung up and called out to the bathroom, "Pretend you slept through their calls to your quarters."

"You didn't tell them?" Daniel raced around the room, grabbing clothes from various drawers. He kept extras here for just these sorts of occasions.

"Well, I didn't want them to send out search parties." She bit her lip again. "But don't worry, Walter is keeping our secret."

"Yeah, okay." He bent over and kissed her. "See you later," he said, and then he was speeding out the door.

* * *

After SG-1 briefed Landry on the situation at Tegalus, Sam went to work on discovering why their shield modifications hadn't worked. She couldn't find any flaws and had to assume the Ori were modifying their weapons. They must have realized that when Daniel and Vala escaped with the scout ship their technology had been leaked. She and a dozen or so other engineers and scientists were put on the task of figuring out how to stay a step ahead of the Ori. Yet again, they contacted the Asgard for assistance.

Things started going smoother after that and the latest 304 was being finished with the new shield generators.

One would think Sam would relax after such an accomplishment, but as Vala kept her company one day in her lab—sitting at the opposite work table with the communication terminal prototype Bill Lee had finished last week—the short, sweet little scientist walked in needing help with yet another piece of Ancient/Alterran technology. Sam agreed to help, so Vala accompanied her to Bill's lab, where they spent the rest of the day. Sam studied the device and Bill's notes and Vala continued to use the communication prototype.

"Hey, Vala, Sam," Mitchell said as he walked by and popped his head inside the lab.

Both women looked up from their computers and said hi.

"Did you two sleep here last night?" He frowned at them.

"Of course not," Sam replied, giving Vala a pleading look. "We slept in our quarters."

Mitchell looked to Vala who smiled and nodded until Sam looked back at her monitor, then she frowned and shook her head back and forth repeatedly. Mitchell laughed to himself then walked over near Sam. Vala took the opportunity to wipe the stone she'd been holding and placed it back in its container. She'd been at it for nearly 24 hours, so she definitely needed to take a break. She stood up and stretched her aching back.

At the other worktable Sam was babbling on and on about EM readings and high and low frequencies. Vala was only mildly interested but still walked over near her friend to show support. Before she knew it, there was a bright light emanating from the Ancient device and a curious, queasy sensation washed over her.

They soon determined there was something terribly wrong when Bill came in and passed directly through Sam. Mitchell tried to pick up a coffee cup on the table but it was like it wasn't even there. Vala started to feel really dizzy next and went to sit on the couch in the corner of the lab. Both Mitchell and Sam went to catch her before she fell through it onto the ground.

Vala sighed dramatically. "Does anybody else feel like Ancient technology is more of a curse than a blessing?"

* * *

"Have you seen Vala?" Daniel asked Teal'c as they met in the conference room for Landry's briefing. "I've checked everywhere."

"No, Daniel Jackson. And Colonel Carter and Colonel Mitchell appear to be missing as well."

"Isn't it odd that no one's seen _any_ of them?" Daniel shook his head as he, Teal'c and General Landry tried to figure out the problem.

* * *

Daniel was only half-heartedly listening to Bill and his latest attempt to figure out what Sam's algorithms had been trying to do at the time of their disappearance. At least he'd learned that Vala was with Sam and Mitchell and that they were all okay. He finally lifted his head to look at Bill when he heard the man give a triumphant cheer. A bright light flashed before Daniel, and all of a sudden he could see Sam in front of him. He looked around for Vala next and saw her lying on her side on the floor near Bill's couch.

"Vala! I thought you said you all were okay."

"I am okay, I'm just a little bit tired, and maybe a tad nauseous again," she tried to sit up as Daniel helped, but then she winced and lay back down, "and sitting up makes me want to throw up." She exhaled slowly and relaxed. "But at least all that helps me ignore my hunger, which as you know is _always_ present."

"Well, we'll take you to the infirmary and get someone to bring you a snack from the cafeteria. Hey, Bill, can you call the infirmary for a med-team?" He looked over at Dr. Lee who was now frowning at his computer monitor. "Bill?" The scientist still didn't hear him, so Daniel reached out to try to open the door of the nearby cabinet. He couldn't grasp the handle. Daniel dropped his head in dismay.

"At least the translation will go faster this way," Sam said sarcastically.

Daniel kind of laughed with her as he dug around in his pockets and produced a protein bar. "Don't you always have a couple of these with you, Vala?"

Sam walked over and sat down with them. "She gave Cam and me one to split. We made her eat the second one herself."

"I wanted to save some for later but they stood there watching while I finished the whole thing." She took two bites of the bar Daniel offered her and wrapped up the rest for later. Daniel eyed her, so she waved him off. "This is as much as I can have now. Anything more and it may just come up later."

"Okay." He looked over at Sam. "We need to get back, and where the heck is Mitchell?"

"Short version," Sam replied, "he went to help Teal'c."

* * *

"You know, it really doesn't make any sense."

"Hmm?" Sam asked. "What's that, Vala?"

"Well, if I can't lie down on the couch, or lean against the cabinet, how come I can lie here on the floor? How are we not falling through to the center of the planet? Or floating up into space? Does gravity still work on us? And how come we can still see everything from our original dimension? How come we don't see anything else that's in this dimension besides that display? How is there even air here for us to breathe?"

"Vala," Daniel focused her attention on him with a pointed look, "do you honestly want an answer?"

"Ye-es," she said slowly, reluctantly.

"Well," Sam took a deep breath and began.

"No. No, no," Vala interrupted. "I think there might be some truth to the saying 'ignorance is bliss.'"

Sam smiled and went back to look over Bill's shoulder. "Oh, geez. Bill, I don't think that's a good idea."

* * *

Back in Vala's quarters, all completely in phase and back to normal, Daniel sat with her on the bed. "Can we now please talk about you moving away from this death trap mountain?"

"Oh, and you'd consider leaving someone else in charge of investigating that address where Merlin's weapon might be?"

Daniel sighed and lay back on the bed. "I have to see this through. And I need you to be safe while I do it."

"Too bad, I'm staying put." Vala lay back on the bed next to him and tried a different angle. "Do you honestly think you'll worry less for me if I'm not here?"

"No," he admitted reluctantly. She heard him take a long, deep breath, then he reached in his pocket. "Vala, I want to give you something." He pulled out a black, velvet box and turned over on his side, propping his head in his hand.

She'd watched a few Mitchell-termed chick-flicks in her time here, so when she opened the box and saw the diamond ring, she had a pretty good idea what Daniel was asking. She just didn't know how she felt about it.

She looked him in the eyes. "If you're giving me this in order to get me to leave the SGC and be 'safe' somewhere away from you—"

"No, no. You're absolutely right," Daniel broke in. "You living somewhere else would never work. I'm giving you this so you have something to remind you that someone belongs to you…that _I_ belong to you."

Vala hesitated but looked back at the ring. "And I to you?"

"Yeah."

Daniel was quiet for a moment while she gazed at the ring. She couldn't help the tears starting to form in her eyes.

"I know it's not very showy. It was my mother's. I've had it in my pocket for weeks, practically since we got back, I just couldn't decide when or how to give it to you."

She stopped his babbling by placing a finger on his lips and smiling. "I love it, Daniel," she paused for a second, "but I don't need anything to remind me that you're mine. People will definitely notice this."

Daniel smiled back. "I don't care, but if you do, you can wear it on a chain around your neck or something. It's yours now, just like I am," he blushed, "always have been, I guess."

Vala laughed with him but continued to stare at the ring. "It's so beautiful, but it can't possibly fit. I feel positively bloated all the time."

She was about to return it to the box, when Daniel took it from her and gently eased it over the knuckle of her ring finger on her left hand. Her only response was a look of utter shock.

"I may have asked Sam and Carolyn to get you to try on some rings the first time you three went shopping at the mall."

Vala lightly punched his shoulder. "You sneak!" But she lay back and admired the ring on her finger as she held her hand up above her head. "Do I need to get you a ring, too? Would you wear one?"

"My dad's wedding band is in the box too, beneath the cardboard. I'll wear it if you want."

Vala nodded and she took it out and placed it on his left hand as well. "Does this mean…I mean, you know…are we…"

Daniel frowned in confusion at her.

"It's just that, from what I understand, your planet has a variety of ceremonies involving the, uh, commitments of couples."

He smiled back at her. "This can mean whatever you want it to mean. If you want, then yes, this can mean that we're married." Daniel laughed as he saw her eyes light up. "Or if you want it to just mean that we're mutually connected in some way greater than mere friends and co-workers, then that's fine too."

"I like the first one." Vala jabbed him in the shoulder again, but a second later she frowned. "It's more than just putting rings on each other. Doesn't a wedding, a marriage, require vows, or…or promises of some kind?"

"Oh, there's all kinds of common features to wedding ceremonies. There's usually some kind of outward symbol, like the rings, and witnesses, which I guess we don't have right now—"

"Except the whole base thinks we fight like an old married couple anyway," Vala teased.

"Good point. And yes, usually there are promises made. For instance, I promise to…to never work so hard that I miss a meal."

Vala laughed. "And I promise to…to share all my treasure with you…" he raised an eyebrow at her. "Fifty-fifty," she promised.

"I further promise to…get at least six hours of sleep a night."

"Eight."

"Seven."

"Fine, but you also promise to take a thirty minute nap every day…say around noon," she bargained with a wink. Daniel laughed back and agreed, so Vala continued with her next vow. "Okay, let's see…I also promise to…" a thought crossed her mind and she started to frown, "…to only steal something if I need it to save your life." She touched his cheek tenderly, and felt herself tearing up again. "I promise to…"

Daniel turned his head and placed a kiss on her palm. "I promise to give you the benefit of the doubt from now on, to respect you and trust you in all things." He softly kissed her lips. "I promise to love you, Vala Mal Doran, with all my heart, body and soul for as long as I live."

Vala started crying freely, but she made her final vow wholeheartedly. "For the rest of my life, I promise to love you, Daniel Jackson, with all my heart, body and soul." Their lips met in a passionate, soul-searching kiss.

Minutes passed, and the kiss that had started as a seal of their vows turned desperate with a fiery need. Tongues melded, lips fused. They separated for only moments at a time, gasping for breath then coming together for more. They used their teeth and left love bites on each other's lips. They swept their tongues around each other, licking and sucking in a blatant mimic of things to come.

Vala reached under Daniel's shirt and forced both his black t-shirt and army green BDU top up over his head. She was wearing a similar ensemble, which remained unbuttoned to accommodate her pregnant belly. Daniel helped her to sit up and proceeded to remove both her BDU shirt and the black tank top she wore under it. He gazed at her appreciatively as she sat there before him.

Daniel brushed a few strands of hair from her face. "I know you already know this," he grinned, "but you truly are the most beautiful woman I've ever met."

She smiled back at him, thanking him wordlessly for easing her anxieties. She teased him back then, "Oh, darling, I bet you say that to all the girls." Her hand grazed down his arm over his bicep. "This may sound silly," she lifted her gaze from his body to his eyes, "but knowing you're mine makes me feel like…like the wealthiest woman in the universe. I feel as if…I've found my heart's desire at last."

Daniel found her lips again with his, and they kissed long and hard, the force of his movement propelling them down to the bed once more. He kept himself propped up on his side so as not to crush their baby, but his other hand caressed her from her jaw to her navel and all the places in between. Vala kept one hand on his neck, the other on his back, holding his head and his mouth tightly against her own.

She was drowning in the kiss, in the feeling of his muscles tensing and flexing, in the sensation of his hand fondling her breasts over her bra. She twisted more on her side then, and tried to free her breasts on her own. Daniel released her mouth and smiled against her cheek, helping her to undo the small hooks behind her back. When she was free, he didn't immediately reach for her as she expected, but instead, knelt on the ground and started unlacing her boots.

She never laced them up all the way anymore, so it didn't take him long to remove her shoes and socks. He worked on his own next while Vala debated whether she should take her pants off herself or let Daniel do it. It took her maybe three seconds to decide to do it herself. The pants were too uncomfortable to sleep in anyway, Daniel couldn't accuse her of trying to skip ahead. She left her underwear on, though she couldn't really figure out why. She hoped her stupid, insecure subconscious wasn't starting to get the upperhand.

But even as she thought it, Daniel was there beside her, stripped down to his boxers and slipping under the covers with her.

"Look, don't hate me for this, but I don't actually want…to uh…"

"What?"

"No, no, let me explain. I'm just kind of afraid of hurting you, that's all," he begged her to understand. "Let me go slow this time. Let me just touch you."

"Daniel, you won't hurt me or the baby. I'm sure there's nothing to worry ab— Oh, good lord!" He'd slipped his hand underneath the elastic of her underwear and pressed down on her clit knowingly.

"You all right, dear?" She heard slight laughter in his voice.

"Yes, okay then…" she gasped and writhed beneath his hand, "maybe for now…we'll let you…do it your way. Mmm."

He used her momentary distraction to pull her underwear all the way off, then went back to teasing her throbbing flesh. He moved his thumb in ever tightening circles around her, pressing down then pulling back. He didn't seem to follow any rhythm, so there was no way she could anticipate his movements. Her eyes were closed in pleasure, but she could almost feel him staring at her in the dim, shaded lamplight, watching her emotions fly across her face.

After a moment, he abandoned her clit and sent a finger probing into her. Like her nipples, her insides were just as over-sensitized. Having never been pregnant before, the experience of him stroking her with his fingers felt like something new and unknown. She squeezed her thighs around his hand, keeping him in place, hoping he'd never leave her.

Daniel spent many minutes exploring and learning her most intimate place, stroking with one finger, then with two. She felt so tight around his fingers that Vala just knew he'd never actually fit right now. Better to wait until after the baby was born…if they possibly could wait that long. She reached up with her outside hand and brought Daniel's head down to hers for a long, tongue-sweeping kiss. With her other hand, the one between them, she sought out his erection, gripping it and starting to pump.

Daniel broke the kiss at once and inched his body away from her. "Ah, ah, ah," he chided. "This night is for you."

"Let's have another night be for me and this one be for us," she bargained, reaching out again to thread her fingers into his boxers.

"I'm serious, Vala," Daniel choked out when she had pulled him partially free. "I don't last long at all when you touch me," he groaned as she tugged a little harder. "God, you'll be the death of me."

He sat up quickly then clamped both her wrists above her head with one hand. "Vala," he looked her straight in her eyes, "I need you to make one more promise tonight."

She shook her head in protest until he sent two fingers inside her and pressed down on her clit with his thumb. She closed her eyes and squirmed against him, the sensations becoming all too powerful. "Harder, darling."

"Promise me not to derail this." He kissed the upper swell of her breasts while stroking shallowly inside her. "Hold your hands there out of the way and let me love you."

Daniel flicked his tongue over one of Vala's nipples and heard her gasp. She bucked her hips up into his hand, urging him to stroke her. "Please, Daniel."

"I'm here, Vala, but you have to promise." He drew his fingers out of her and gently pinched her clit between his wet forefinger and thumb. When she still hadn't responded to his plea, he bent down and licked the nipple he'd been teasing. Then he released it and blew across it. "Will you keep your hands to yourself? Just for tonight?" he asked while rubbing the heel of his hand against her and kissing her neck just below her jaw.

"Fine. Yes! Damnit, Daniel, just finish it already!"

He loosened his grip on her wrists slowly, but she held to her word and stayed put. He bent down and flicked her nipple once more with his tongue, then he drove his fingers into the soft, wet flesh between her thighs. He stroked her for a few minutes, hard and fast, but then he abandoned that track and sent his fingers to her clit, flicking and strumming like the strings of an instrument.

In seconds, her body clenched. She brought a pillow up to her mouth and she screamed into it in utter ecstasy. Daniel brought her down easy, stroking her inner thighs and belly lazily, brushing the lightest, barely-there kisses across her breasts.

When her breathing evened out, he got up from the bed and shuffled into the bathroom. She heard the water running and winced when she thought he might be getting into a cold shower. But it sounded more like the faucet than the shower, so she tried to relax.

He came back a minute or two later with a warm washcloth and rinsed her off. He went part way back to the bathroom and tossed it in the sink, then returned to lie down next to Vala.

"You okay?" Vala asked, curling into him.

"Fine, sweetheart," he whispered. "Just relax."

She took a few breaths then blew out a laugh against his chest. "You know what? I think we might actually have the potential for being 'vigorous' in bed."

Daniel blurted out a huge laugh of his own. "I never doubted it for a minute."


	20. Chapter 20

Daniel began his day by meeting with General Landry and the rest of SG-1. He felt that finding Merlin's weapon was a crucial next step in the Ori fight. As the meeting broke up, Teal'c placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Congratulations, Daniel Jackson," he said, inclining his head towards Daniel's left hand.

"Oh. Thanks, Teal'c." Daniel blushed a little and twisted his dad's ring on his finger.

"You two got hitched?" Mitchell commented as they all exited the conference room and headed toward the elevators.

"More like 'made each other vows.'"

Mitchell winked. "Sounds like getting hitched to me. So where's the bride?"

"I saw her at breakfast," Sam said. "She had an early appointment with Carolyn. She said she'd stop by my lab after to work with our communication prototype again."

"Is she still anxious to hear something from the Ori resistance?" Teal'c asked.

"Very," Daniel replied. "The people we stayed with are like family to her."

When they arrived in Sam's lab, Vala rushed the few steps into Daniel's arms. "Oh, Daniel, thank goodness you're here." Her arms went around him and she kissed him frantically.

"Newlyweds," Mitchell teased.

Daniel peeled the woman off his body. "Denya, what happened? Why are you here?"

"I'm sorry…I…"

"It's okay, just tell me what's wrong."

Denya was about to speak, but Sam held up a hand and stopped her. "Wait. We should get the video cameras, if it concerns the Ori armies, that is."

Denya nodded. "It does. There is much to tell."

As Teal'c and Sam led the way to an interrogation room set up with the proper equipment, Mitchell hung back a little behind Denya-Vala and whispered to Daniel. "How'd you know, Jackson?"

Daniel shrugged. "A man knows when he's kissing his wife and when he's kissing a woman in his wife's body."

*o^-*o^-*

Vala woke up with her hand on a communication stone set in an Alterran communication device. _Well, Samantha did say this is how it was designed to work._ She looked down at herself and recognized one of Denya's dresses. She pulled at her hair and saw that it was indeed blonde. _Well, Denya,_ she thought, looking at the ladder leading out of the cellar, _I hope you didn't do this by yourself._

She moved toward the ladder and slowly started to climb. If she hadn't been so worried about who might be upstairs, she might have laughed at herself for slightly waddling in Denya's _un_ -pregnant body. But the thought merely flitted through her brain as she peered into the main room of the safe house. She blew out the breath she was holding when she saw Panos at the window keeping watch.

"Panos." Denya's brother turned to face her. "It's me, Vala. What happened?"

"Too much," he replied, "and all of it bad."

"Kira? Ber? Their family?"

*o^-*o^-*

"All fine," Denya told Daniel who sat next to her at the long interrogation table. Sam and Teal'c sat across from them, and Mitchell turned on the video camera in the corner of the room. Denya continued, "Everyone is well enough, but our sabotage plan has failed." She took a deep breath. "Where to start… Well, after you left, the priors and army commanders were in a frenzy. The foot soldiers came to the tavern at the end of each day complaining of all the extra work that had to be done."

*o^-*o^-*

"It's a good thing you killed the prior who came for you because I'm sure I would have been found out and cleansed otherwise," Panos thanked Vala.

"I _am_ sorry for shooting you. I was trying to keep you from being suspected of collaborating with us."

"It worked, too. I was put back on weapons and shields after that. I think many believed I was a hero for attempting to stop you." Panos paused. "But soon the priors realized that whole systems needed to be modified because of what the two of you stole. The men were ordered to work longer hours, day and night."

*o^-*o^-*

"Seevis thought that with all this extra activity, maybe our spies could do more to disrupt the eventual launch," Denya continued her story. "He and Panos decided to install explosives near the main power generators. During the grand celebration being planned, each prior would activate a ship in a show of the Ori's power. All the ships would have been lost—"

"As well as the crowds," Daniel finished for her, shocked. "I can't believe Ber and Kira went along with this."

*o^-*o^-*

"They weren't told the particulars of the sabotage," Panos informed Vala, "neither was Denya until the day before, to prevent her from warning them. Seevis has grown almost as fanatical as the most devout Ori followers. I don't know if it was right to do," he admitted, "but we are fighting for our very freedom."

"It's ok, I understand, a little. So, the plan failed and the ships launched." Vala paused to think. "We might still be all right. Our people found a way to dial out on our supergate, therefore keeping the Ori from dialing in."

*o^-*o^-*

"Oh, sorry. I went out of order," Denya apologized to Sam who had mentioned the supergate. "After Daniel and Vala escaped, Panos told us that there were regular missions to the skygate to make certain everything was in working order. At one point the mission failed. The scout ship could no longer dial out."

"So they constructed another supergate," Teal'c guessed.

"Yes," Denya confirmed.

"And another one here in the Milky Way," Mitchell followed along.

"Yes," she nodded to Mitchell, "but they waited until the final week before creating them. We would have contacted you days ago but Seevis refused to allow it."

"He gambled on his sabotage plan," Daniel surmised.

*o^-*o^-*

"Yes." Panos nodded to Vala. "Even if Seevis had let us communicate with you, I don't even know the coordinates of your skygate. The prior himself took a scout ship to determine its viability."

"It's okay, we appreciate you telling us now." She glanced at the window. "Did you hear that?"

Both Panos and Vala went to the window. Seevis was at the edge of the clearing before the house. They could clearly see his look of shock and pain as he was shot in the back. Tomin, dressed in an Ori soldier's uniform, stood over the body, then raised his head and looked toward the safe house.

Panos practically shoved Vala down into the cellar, closed the trapdoor, and pushed the bed over it quickly in a matter of seconds. She heard the back door open and shut just as the front door opened. She plastered herself on the fifth rung of the ladder and held her breath, trying to hear movement in the house over the sound of her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

When she thought the footsteps were far enough away, she descended the ladder slowly, one rung every thirty seconds. When her feet hit the floor, she crept to the communication device. Just before removing the stone, she grabbed a notebook and pencil and scribbled a note.

Seevis shot. Ori soldier in house. Panos went outside, possibly to lure soldier away. Be careful. -Vala

Just as she finished the note, she heard heavy footfalls and a scraping sound above her.

*o^-*o^-*

"Even though the ships have launched," Denya told them, "we still think you have a few days to prepare. Our new skygate is elsewhere in our galaxy and the ships that have launched are traveling to many other planets to pick up more troops."

"A few days isn't a lot," Sam observed, "but we deeply appreciate the risk you took in warning us."

Denya waved aside Sam's thanks, saying that the risk was necessary. Daniel caught sight of his ring on Denya's—Vala's—hand.

"Maybe we should stop now…"

Denya seemed to black out for a second next to him and then she was throwing her arms around his neck once again. At once he realized it was Vala and hugged her back.

After a few moments, Vala seemed to regain her composure. She looked around the room and gave everyone a relieved smile. "Well, my dear Samantha, I can confirm that your device works perfectly well. As soon as Denya connected her stone to their device, we essentially switched bodies." She spent the next few minutes telling her tale and confirming everything Denya had already told them.

* * *

"You have a go, SG-1," Landry ordered. "Find Merlin's weapon."

Vala had accompanied the rest of them to the conference room to inform General Landry of their communication with the resistance members. Now they were all dismissed in order to prepare for the mission. Vala was heading towards her quarters and Daniel followed.

"So, how'd your check-up go this morning?"

"Carolyn says it could be any day now."

"I shouldn't be more than a couple of days. I'll be back in plenty of time, okay?"

Vala nodded. When they got to her suite, she started biting her lip nervously. "I think…I think I know where I want to go to have the baby." Daniel sat down on the bed and let her continue. "I've checked the SGC's database. There's been no report of priors there."

To his credit, Daniel stayed calm. "Running water?" he teased lightly, showing her that he trusted her.

"Yes, and not a desert," Vala kidded back. She paused and became serious. "Will you take me?"

"Of course. We can leave now if you want. I'll drop you off and make sure you're settled then come back in a few days after the mission." He stood up and took the duffle bag they'd been preparing for the last few weeks out of the closet. "We'll have to tell General Landry. He may have to cover for you with the IOA. It's not so easy to sneak off through the gate."

"I think I may have a way to save them some trouble." She went into the bathroom and brought out some towels she got from the infirmary. "Did you know today is my dead grandmother's birthday?" She winked, placing the towels in a plastic bag, then packing them in the duffle. "I'm sure your IOA would let me go home to visit her grave."

* * *

An hour later, they were all packed and informing Landry of their plan to let Vala give birth elsewhere. Walter still had to log the gate activity but they all agreed it was a good enough reason to let Vala leave.

As they stepped through the gate, Daniel saw a colorful planet, the trees full of red, gold, and light yellow leaves. "It feels like a cool October day in New England," he commented.

Vala nodded. "Many of the farming families will be harvesting soon. This might work in our favor," she said as she walked past the DHD to a stone platform.

"What are you doing?"

"Checking the time," she said standing before a sundial.

"Wow," Daniel stood there amazed. "What a clever way of helping newcomers."

Vala looked at the various symbols then closed her eyes. "I think, yes," she nodded, "it's about 6 hours until sunset."

Daniel looked at the sundial, trying to decipher it. "Hours like 60 minute intervals, or hours…"

"I did the conversion for you. Six Earth-like hours." Daniel stared back at her in blatant wonder. "What?" she asked.

Daniel shook the surprise from his mind and smiled. "You amaze me."

Vala smiled back and led him down the path toward the village. The land was flat around them and he could see houses and fields in the distance. The village itself was full of stone and wood houses lining the main streets. There were open air markets and various shops focusing on clothing and household necessities. He noticed a lumber mill in the distance, and a blacksmith's forge near it. He heard cattle also and turned his head to see a butcher's shop next door to a café. The village tavern was just a little further along.

"Quite a nice place you have here. Is this your home planet? Where you grew up?"

"Yes." They made it to Vala's destination and she stopped and knocked on the door. "Hopefully we can stay at my old house."

A middle-aged woman with warm eyes and light brown hair braided down her back opened the door. She immediately recognized Vala and pulled her into the house as well as into her arms. "Vala, girl! You're back!"

Vala smiled brightly and returned the embrace. "Careful, Reni, I'm about to pop," she laughed.

"Come in, come in. Sit down both of you." She motioned to chairs in front of her fireplace.

"Daniel, this is Reni Pelk, the village midwife and healer, and a friend of my mother. Reni, this is Daniel Jackson of the Tau'ri and…" She tripped over the rest of the introduction.

Daniel held out his hand to Reni and rescued Vala. "Her husband."

Reni grasped his hand and shook it. "A pleasure to meet you, Daniel. And a pleasure to see Vala with a good man." She sat back in her chair and asked Vala, "So how long are you staying?" Her face turned worried then. "Are you in trouble?"

Vala waved it aside. "No more trouble than I'm usually in."

"That bad, huh?" Reni smirked.

Vala rolled her eyes. "You know me." She paused. "Is Jacek here?"

"Nope," Reni shook her head. "He flew in and out of here a month ago, and I don't expect him back for quite a few months yet."

Vala nodded. "The harvests will keep him away. He won't want to fend off families who need a helping hand on their farms."

"Jacek?" Daniel asked.

Vala sighed heavily. "My father."

"You don't get along with him?"

Vala shrugged her response. "The man would have to be around for me to get along with him or not. But Reni's right, we probably won't run into him for a few months, not until winter sets in. And he usually only comes back to this planet if he needs a place to hide out."

"Wait a second, I thought you said the people of your village stoned you when you returned after Qetesh was removed."

"Yes. Sooo?" she asked.

"You can't be safe here then."

"Well, I didn't say they stoned me to _death_ , Daniel. Reni stopped them actually," Vala smiled at the older woman. "She's one of the more intelligent members of the village."

"Vala's mother was my best friend," Reni explained. "She died when Vala was young, seven maybe?" Vala nodded and Reni continued, "So I watched out for her while her con-man father came and went. It was awful when she was taken as a host," she shook her head as if shaking away the bad memories, "but _I_ could tell when she was finally free, even if the others couldn't. I stopped the crowds and brought her home with me."

"The others are still wary of me, part of it because of my time as a host, but also partly because of Jacek," Vala continued the tale. "When I was fourteen he started including me in some of his cons. It didn't always go well for the villagers here when we had to crawl back in hiding. Anyway, I don't visit very often," she turned to look at her friend, "and I really regret that, Ren."

The older woman just took her hand and squeezed warmly. "No harm done, darling."

Daniel didn't quite understand all of it, but Vala seemed much more relieved than before so he figured not meeting her father was a good thing. And knowing Reni was here lifted some worry from Daniel's shoulders as well. Reni and Vala continued to catch up while Daniel thought to himself.

As much as Dr. Lam had protested their leaving the SGC and having the baby elsewhere, Daniel felt confident he'd be able to help Vala deliver it. He'd learned a great deal while helping Sha're through her birth, and Dr. Lam had given him a crash course in her OB/GYN studies. Vala's pregnancy was proceeding as normally as possible, if there was such a thing as normal when it came to pregnancies. From what he'd read, each and every pregnancy was different, from woman to woman, and from baby to baby.

But it was a natural process as well, and he had faith that he and Vala would be able to get through it. Having Reni around could only make things easier.

* * *

A little later all three of them stood up and made their way to Vala's childhood home. It had been occupied a month ago, so the kitchen and main bedroom were relatively dust-free, if a little untidy. The three of them decided that her old room should be the birthing room for when the time came. The bed was narrower and that way they could keep the main bed clean for them to sleep in afterwards.

They stripped the bed and began sterilizing all the sheets and linens in soap and boiling water. Daniel and Vala decided to leave all their other supplies in the duffle bag, since they were already washed and stored in clean plastic bags. She did unpack some of her clothes, underwear and nightshirts, placing them all in a drawer of the dresser in the main bedroom.

Reni went back to the kitchen to check on their food supplies and make a list of what they should get in the market before the end of the day. Daniel took a few rags and wiped down all the surfaces in the bedrooms, kitchen and living room area. Vala laughed from her old room as she heard him sneezing elsewhere in the house. She was unpacking some of the baby things; a stack of diapers to get them through the first couple of days; cute, tiny onesies for their little one to wear; the small, baby-sized quilt that she'd finished a couple weeks ago; hats, booties, and a pacifier—things Carolyn and Sam had helped her pick out.

Fingering the baby blanket, she stopped for a moment and sat on the bed to think. As much as she didn't want Daniel to go, she knew it was important for them to find Merlin's weapon. And she knew Reni would be able to help her while Daniel was gone. She was anxious about the birth, thinking that it really would happen any day now, but Kira had talked with her a great deal, and she'd helped Reni with a few births before Jacek had taken her and Adria from their home on one of his cons in her early teens. She quickly brushed Jacek and Adria from her mind, no need to think about those two. The point was with everything she'd learned over the months, Vala felt pretty sure she knew what to expect. Everything would work out fine.


	21. Chapter 21

Daniel insisted on staying the night with Vala. She said she was glad he was staying, but she didn't want him to miss his mission. He set his watch alarm and told her not to worry. He had a backpack all set to go in his office. He'd gate back, pick it up, and meet the rest of the team in plenty of time.

They slept spooned together with Daniel's hand resting on Vala's hip and her hand holding it in place. He woke up later, not to his watch alarm, but to her squeezing his hand tightly, and seemingly clenching all of her muscles in pain.

She exhaled loudly and groaned when it was over, releasing his hand.

"Vala?"

"Sorry, that was the worst one all night." She let go of his hand and clutched the pillow under her head instead. "Try to go back to sleep, it'll be about fifteen minutes 'til the next one. And they don't last too long."

"That one was half a minute at least." He leaned up on his elbow to look down at her and tried to read her face. "How long has this been going on?"

"They're probably just preparation contractions like the ones I've been having off and on for a couple of weeks."

"Okay." Daniel settled back down and curled his arm around Vala, placing his hand on her stomach.

They tried to go back to sleep, but Daniel was completely wide awake. When her next contraction came, he could tell she was trying to cover up her pain, but he could feel her ab muscles tensing underneath his hands. He glanced at his lighted watch. The last one had been twelve minutes ago. If she'd expected it to be about fifteen minutes later, maybe this meant the contractions were getting closer together. Then again, she may have just been estimating fifteen minutes. Better to just wait and see what happened next.

He moved his hand along her arm in comfort, trying to keep them both relaxed. "Don't fight the contractions," he told her. "If it's time, it's time."

"I'm not really. I just don't want you to feel obligated to stay, since you have a galaxy to save and all."

"Maybe just this once I'll leave the galaxy saving to someone else," he said, kissing her shoulder.

Vala turned her head to face his. "This could still be nothing. Let's not worry just yet." She lifted her head to kiss him. "Really, I'm fine. Try to go back to sleep."

_Silly woman._ As if he could sleep now. But he lay back down on the pillow and humored her.

For an hour he kept an eye on Vala while she slept. Each contraction woke her and he started to feel bad that she wasn't getting the rest she'd need for the remainder of the day. Even though Vala seemed to hope these were just false labor contractions, Daniel tried to prepare himself in case they were in for the long haul today. He still had a couple hours before he needed to contact the SGC and let them know he couldn't make it for the mission. They'd done a reasonable job wiping down Vala's old room and clearing away dust. All they had to do was lay out the plastic sheet they got from the SGC infirmary and lay out all the towels and supplies for the birth. Absolutely no need to panic just yet.

But every time Vala clenched for another contraction, Daniel's heartbeat raced just a little faster. He kept checking his watch, the last four were consistently eight minutes apart and lasting 35 to 40 seconds. Vala got up after the last one to use the bathroom. Daniel got up as well to boil water for the coffee-like substance in the cabinet. When Vala emerged from the bathroom, he offered her a cup of water.

She drank it slowly, then sat down at the table with him. "We may need to go get Reni soon."

"Your water?"

"Yep." She nodded. "Didn't really gush. It feels more like I'm leaking," she said.

"I'll go in a minute." Daniel reached out and stroked her hand. "Do you want something to eat? Cheese and crackers, maybe? Or some tea?"

"Yes, that sounds good. I can't have too much, of course, but maybe I'll nibble on some nuts as well."

Daniel got up and prepared the snack for her, noticing her grimacing and bending low over the table at one point. He placed the crackers and tea in front of her and then kissed her forehead.

"I'll go to the gate and tell Landry to replace me for the mission, then I'll stop by Reni's and bring her back, okay?" She nodded and kissed him back. "Take it easy and rest. I'll be right back." Then he threw on his jacket and headed out the door. The sky was just starting to lighten before dawn.

* * *

He got back a little over an hour later. When Daniel had contacted Stargate Command to tell them Vala had gone into labor, he could tell by the sound of the voices in the background that something had happened while they were gone. Landry informed him that a Jaffa vessel had found the second supergate. The _Odyssey_ was on route to investigate.

If Daniel wasn't going to be back for the mission to find Merlin's weapon, Landry considered sending the rest of SG-1 to meet up with the _Odyssey_. Daniel had agreed. Even if Vala's labor took a couple days, he was going to stay with her. Mitchell got on the radio after that, assuring Daniel that they'd find some way of blocking the supergate.

After his conversation with the SGC, he stopped at Reni's house but she wasn't at home. A chalkboard hung near the door and she'd hastily written that she was at Mistan's house, whoever that was. Daniel wasn't sure what to do. He couldn't spend time wandering around the village looking for Reni; labor times ranged from a few hours to a day or two. He needed to get back. He ended up scrawling Vala's name on the chalkboard, hoping Reni would see it and come by.

When he got back to the house, Vala had changed out of her pajama bottoms into a knee-length, sleeveless nightgown and was pacing from the living room to the kitchen and back again.

"Is everything okay?" Daniel asked.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Walking helps relieve some of the pain."

Daniel nodded, then went into the smaller bedroom to lay out the water-proof sheet and towels.

"I think we're all set," he said walking back into the living room and holding out his hand as she bent over a chair, her eyes shut tightly against the pain. When it was over, he commented, "They're lasting longer, aren't they?"

"Yes," she breathed out heavily, "and about five minutes apart now." She tried to stand up straighter and lean against Daniel. "And they feel like getting blasted with a Jaffa staff weapon."

* * *

"Daniel. Forget it. I don't want this baby anymore."

"You're doing great, Vala. Just a few more pushes should do it."

"Nope. I can't. It's too hard."

"Come on." She was no longer lying on the bed, but standing on the floor and leaning against the edge of the mattress. "Hold my hand through the next few contractions. They should be a bigger ones, I can see the baby's head."

A few seconds later, she felt the urge to push and squatted. Daniel was sitting below her on the floor and kept encouraging her, telling her she was doing great, the head was almost out.

After a few more contractions, Vala let go of his hand as a wave of intense pain passed. She saw him fiddling with their supplies, clearing the baby's nose and mouth. He supported it with both hands as she felt her body ready itself for the next push. Almost done, she thought, just a little more.

"Good girl, Vala. You're doing great," he said to her. "Just a little more and you can hold the baby."

And soon it was over. He held a little girl in his hands; a tiny, little, wrinkled, squishy, beautiful, gorgeous, girl. Daniel, the expert linguist in over two dozen languages, had no words for the love he felt.

He clamped the umbilical cord in the right places and then separated the little baby from her mother. He had a bowl of warm water ready, so he cleaned off his daughter and helped her to cry for the first time. Though panting and sweating, Vala reached out to the end of the bed and passed the quilt she'd made to Daniel.

As soon as the baby was clean and dry, he handed her to Vala, who winced once more. She delivered the afterbirth while smiling at her daughter.

"Oh, little one. There you are, darling." Vala beamed as brightly as Daniel had ever seen her as she cradled the baby in her arms. "I just can't believe how beautiful she is."

"Just like her mother," Daniel said, helping Vala to expel the remaining placenta and disposing of it.

"Hmph," Vala scoffed. "I suppose all fathers say that."

The baby continued to make soft crying sounds as it fought for breath, but she also made quiet sucking noises too.

"Here, little one," Vala shifted the baby as she unbuttoned her top. "What a very…bizarre feeling," she commented, feeling her daughter feed on her breast.

Daniel took the opportunity to tear his gaze away from the two of them. He gathered up some of the towels and proceeded to wash himself and Vala up. "How are you feeling?" he asked. "Anything out of the ordinary?"

"I don't know. I still hurt, but I suppose that's normal." Suddenly, her euphoric high seemed to be dwindling. "Oh yes, there does seem to be a bit of pain." She winced as he washed her.

"Just rest," Daniel said once he finished. Vala shifted to one side, so Daniel could strip the plastic sheet from the bed. Then he took clean sheets from the pile on the dresser and made the bed for her, Vala only standing up once or twice, her legs still pretty weak. He helped her back into bed and brought the blankets up around his girls. "I'll go see if I can find Reni. I thought for sure she'd have come by now."

"Maybe there was some other emergency she needed to attend to," Vala guessed. "There aren't a lot of healers in the village, and she's trusted above everyone else."

"Well, I still want to see if she's gotten back." He looked down at his daughter and her mother, feeling rooted to the spot. He had to go to get some help for Vala and her pain, but he just couldn't bring himself to leave.

"Don't worry, Daniel," Vala reassured him. "We'll be fine."

"I'll be back soon," he promised and kissed her forehead. "You did great."

* * *

Daniel came back half an hour later empty-handed. Reni still hadn't returned from her house-call. He met a few villagers who said that Mistan's young son had fallen ill with a fever and Reni was staying with the family to keep an eye on the child. At that point, Daniel wasn't sure he wanted Reni's help, being slightly afraid that the woman might pass along the illness to Vala or his daughter. And Vala wasn't in any immediate danger. There hadn't been any tearing, just remaining pain.

When he got back to the house, Vala was sleeping and a little girl, about 4 years old, was kneeling next to her, the small baby quilt still wrapped around her shoulders. She was looking at Vala with curiosity, all her focus on the sleeping woman. When Vala made a slight groan, the child looked startled, as if pain was a strange concept.

Then she reached out one of her hands to Vala's abdomen and Daniel was pulled from his trance.

"Wait," Daniel called out.

"Mother is hurted," the little girl said sadly. "I hehp." Then she reached out her hand again and set it softly on Vala's stomach. Vala seemed to relax then, a little more color reaching her cheeks, her brows not creased in pain so much.

"See, Father? I he-help," the little girl smiled. "Hallowed are the Ori."

Daniel felt like vomiting. His precious little girl. His sweet innocent baby was, in fact, a child of the Ori. She was still looking at him, waiting for approval perhaps. He needed to snap out of it. Maybe there was still hope.

"Thank you, little one." He moved closer to the bed. "Your mother looks much better."

The child smiled again and wrapped the blanket around her shoulders once more. "I came to hehp. Where are unbewie-," she frowned and looked down at her hands, concentrating. "L- Un-be-lie-vers," she sounded out, and then smiled at her accomplishment. "I here to help."

Daniel fought the bile rising in his throat. How can she know all this? His sweet beautiful daughter. Had she ever really been his?

"We need to stay here a little longer," Daniel started. "We need to wait for your mother to wake up."

The little girl moved and was about to do just that, to shake Vala awake, but something stopped her. "I _am_ sweepy…sl-sleepy, like Mother." Then she laid her head down on Vala's shoulder and closed her eyes. "Maybe we find unbewie-lievers…later." Then she yawned and fell asleep.

Daniel closed his eyes too, and died a little inside. He'd been used. He'd known it all along, but he'd thought he'd have time. Time to love his child, to teach it right from wrong, to keep it safe from the Ori armies. But time was the one thing he didn't have, probably had never had.

Vala woke up a few minutes later as Daniel was cursing to himself, and she noticed his disgusted face. "Daniel, what is it?" Then she turned to see the little girl curled up on her shoulder.

"Vala, meet the Orici."

Vala's face fell into shock and horror as she slowly sat up and looked down at her daughter. "How?"

Daniel shrugged. "Some kind of genetic alteration, I'd guess." Then he remembered. "Hey, how do you feel? You looked hurt before and she touched you."

"I…I was so tired I fell asleep I guess. But yeah, I was in a lot of pain." Vala felt her stomach. "But it's gone now. No cramps or muscle spasms, no shivers. And I think she…my god, I'm thin again." She looked up at Daniel in shock. "I feel just fine." Vala glanced over at the sleeping girl. "She did it?"

"Yeah, and it was really sweet at first," Daniel admitted. "Until she started saying 'Hallowed are the Ori' and asking to find all the unbelievers."

"You're joking!" Vala gasped.

The little girl stirred in her sleep a little. "No," Daniel whispered, then got up from the bed and helped Vala to get up as well. They left their daughter sleeping in the bed and moved off into the main room to talk. "I don't know what to do. She's my daughter, _our_ daughter, but she's an Ori too. What have we done?"

"Now, now," Vala tried to calm him, "no need to go crazy just yet." She patted his arm then started pacing. "We just need to keep her to ourselves a little while. Make her see that the Ori are lying to her and everyone else. Show her that…" she trailed off.

"Make her see reason? A being genetically altered with the knowledge of the universe?" Daniel sighed in defeat. "We are so screwed."

Vala walked up and took his face in her hands. "Have a little faith, Daniel. I don't think we've lost just yet. She's still human. You said she healed me. It seems like there may be a little love still in her. Let's just concentrate on that and see what happens, okay?" Her faltering smile and wide eyes spoke of her desperation. He could tell she felt as awful and defeated as he did, yet she wanted so desperately to be wrong. He could tell she wanted to save her little girl, save her from being used by power-mad beings, like Vala herself had been used once, how they were all being used now.

Daniel nodded his agreement. There was still some time. Vala was right, there was genuine and sincere love in their child, it just needed a little time to grow.

"Father! Mother!"

"What is it, little one—" Both Vala and Daniel rushed to the bedroom to see their daughter laughing a little to herself, sitting up in the bed with the blankets wrapped around her. They did their best to hide their shock as they stared at a now 8- or 9-year-old girl.

"I think I will need your help, Mother," the child laughed once more. "I can't very well go out and help the unbelievers without any clothes."

Vala found her voice and smiled down at her daughter. "No, darling, you most certainly cannot go out like that." Vala moved into the room and put her hands on her hips, considering. "I must admit, I don't think I prepared for this. You've quite outgrown all the baby clothes we'd gotten for you. Hmm…I'll be right back." Daniel stood in the doorway as Vala went to their bedroom. She came back with a pile of clothes in her arms. She laid out a pair of underwear, a T-shirt and a pair of pants on the bed, she set a second set of clothes aside for herself. Then she took some pins from her sewing kit and sat down on the bed.

"Here, put these on, darling," she handed over the underwear to their daughter. Behind her, Daniel shifted uncomfortably near the doorway. "Daniel, would you go into the kitchen and find a pair of scissors?" She turned back to the child. "I'm not too bad with needle and thread, but my guess is you will grow out of whatever we put together now, won't you?" She spoke with a little levity in her voice and her daughter picked up on it.

"I am growing a bit like a weed, I suppose," she laughed back.

"No, sweetheart." Vala folded and pinned the underwear in place while the girl pulled the shirt over her head. "More like a beautiful flower."

Daniel came back with the kitchen shears and Vala went to work on the pants, holding them up to the little girl and deciding where best to hem them. "You know, darling," Vala began, a small plan forming in her mind, "we aren't very good parents. We haven't even thought of a name for you yet." She finished trimming the pants and folded the bottoms up, carefully placing pins in the edges. "What should we call you, sweetheart?"

"I am Orici," the girl responded sincerely.

Daniel finally found his voice and came over to sit by them on the bed. "Yes, but, that's not really a name, is it?"

The girl looked down at her hands, perhaps embarrassed or more likely confused. "You wish to humanize me. You think my purpose here is wrong, that I am…that I am bad."

"No, darling," Vala quickly interjected. "Whatever gave you that idea?" She handed over the shortened pants and her daughter scrambled into them.

"Who is Adria, Mother?"

"I…" Vala stuttered, looking at Daniel for help but knowing he wouldn't know what to say. "She was my mother." She stopped, guessing her daughter could possibly read her mind. "Actually, my stepmother."

"You don't…" the little girl seemed to be concentrating deeply, "you don't like her. You thought she was unfair and mean to you. Did you…were you thinking of naming me after her?"

"Oh, little one," Vala begged, "yes, maybe for a moment I thought that. But that's only because I'm afraid for you. I love you so much and I'm afraid of what has been done to you, that your life won't be your own."

"You are afraid of me, too, Father?" she said with such a small innocent voice, Daniel nearly broke down in tears.

"No, sweetheart," he choked out. "You misunderstood us. We are not afraid _of_ you. We love you, and we know you would never hurt us." He reached out his hands to hold hers as he spoke, "What your mother said is that we are afraid _for_ you. Afraid that your life will not be all that it could be, afraid the choice is no longer yours."

Still the girl looked down in confusion at her small hands clasped in her father's larger ones. "You don't believe in the Ori," she stated. "You don't believe I should help the unbelievers on the Path to Enlightenment. Yet…yet you still love me."

"With all our hearts, darling." Vala hugged her daughter.

"More than anything," Daniel squeezed the girl's hands in reassurance, "we love you."

She looked up then, still confused but she quietly said, "I like the name Adria. It's pretty. What does it mean?"

"It's a…a flower, isn't it, Vala?" Daniel asked, having heard the name once years ago.

"Yes," Vala nodded, "a pretty blue flower, very rare, very precious." She smiled at her little girl, then laughed a little. "I always thought it was a bit funny that my stepmother could be so mean to me, but have such a beautiful name. I think maybe that's why I was thinking of it before, darling. Not because I thought you were like my stepmother, but because we were talking about you growing up so fast, like a flower, remember?"

The little girl brightened up. "Yes of course, that must have been it. Maybe I shouldn't have sensed your thoughts. It did result in a fair bit of confusion." She looked down at her hands again, as if thinking, as if trying to reason something out. "If I hadn't asked about what I'd read in your mind, I might have lived my whole life thinking you believed me to be like your wicked stepmother…" she trailed off, continuing to think and concentrate.

"Sweetheart?" Daniel tried to get her attention.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Father," the girl replied, looking up. "It's all so confusing. But I think, yes," she looked at them both, smiling, "I'd like you to call me Adria."

"Well, that settles it, darl—I mean, Adria," Vala said with a huge hug for her daughter. "Now I don't know about the two of you but I'm starving." Vala hopped from the bed and pulled on her own clean outfit. Then she reached for Adria's hand and brought her into the kitchen. "Let's see what we have. Do you like apples, or pears maybe?"

Adria made a sweet tinkling laugh. "I don't know, Mother. May I have one of each?"

"Yes of course! The best way to decide, I think," Vala replied happily. "I could also make a batch of biscuits, and we have some honey and jam in the cupboard."

"Which do you like, Father?" She held out an apple and a pear.

"I like both, but I prefer pears." He found a knife and started slicing off bits of fruit for himself and Adria while Vala mixed biscuit batter in a bowl.

"Adria, darling," Vala asked, "do you know why you're growing so fast?"

"Oh yes," Adria smiled. "It's because…because…" Again she squinted in concentration. "I think…I think it's slipping away. It's so hard to remember…everything I'm supposed to know." She frowned then, and Daniel felt his heart aching for her all over again. "Well, I guess I can't tell you _how_ I'm growing so fast, but I suppose I was made this way to better help unbelievers. I mean, babies aren't very good at guiding people on the Path."

"Yes," Vala replied wisely. "That is a very good point."

"You will still let me find the unbelievers, won't you?" Adria pleaded, looking from her mother to her father.

They both hesitated, but Daniel spoke first, "It's hard to imagine letting you go, Adria. We love you and wouldn't want you to leave us." Daniel handed her another piece of fruit. "Then again, part of loving someone is letting them go, letting them make their own way in life. But maybe…maybe you would let us come with you, so that we could protect you for as long as we can."

Adria ate and seemed to consider what her father said. "You don't believe in the Ori," she closed her eyes, squinting once more in concentration, and both Vala and Daniel shared a look, "yet you would let me go in order to find and help the unbelievers…because you…love me."

Daniel could almost see the wheels turning in her mind. "Yes, that's a part of loving someone. The hardest part," he admitted, "but one of the most important parts."

Adria shook her head. "I don't think I can believe you. I think you will force me to stay with you." She became fitful as she shook her head and stood up from the table. "I think you will make me believe what you believe. I think—"

"Ssh, ssh, darling," Vala soothed, holding Adria's shoulders and then bringing her into a hug. Daniel came around the table as well and knelt down to the two of them, putting a hand on Adria's back and rubbing it. "There's no need to be upset, dear," Vala continued. She let Adria go and tipped her chin up to look her in the eyes. "Remember that bit about us naming you Adria before? Remember the little misunderstanding? This is just the same thing, darling."

Daniel nodded and continued. "Maybe I can help explain. What are you confused about?"

Adria closed her eyes and shook her head again. "My head hurts too much. I can't explain it…and I don't understand. I'm so tired, Father." She laid her head on Daniel's shoulder, the beginnings of tears shining in her eyes.

"You go lay down with your father, sweetheart," Vala wiped the tears from Adria's cheek. "These biscuits won't be ready for a while anyway, all right?"

Adria nodded and Daniel picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. Vala watched him lay down with his daughter, Adria curled up on his side and warm blankets pulled up to her chin. She walked away crying, hating the universe and what it was doing to both her and her new family in the other room.


	22. Chapter 22

Daniel came back to the kitchen a little while later, running a hand through his hair in utter frustration.

"I want to hit something, Vala," he confessed. "I want to find an actual Ori being and punch it in its ascended face. And then I want to find an Ancient and punch _it_ in its ascended face." He stopped his relentless pacing and scrubbed his hair and face again. "How the hell did this happen?"

"First of all, let me remind you to keep your voice to a whisper and your maniacal, ascended-punching thoughts to yourself," she finished, giving him a pointed look and tilting her head at the bedroom. Daniel nodded in agreement. "Secondly, even if she heard you, I know it came from a place of love so I think we'll be able to explain it, however, I also think _that_ is what's confusing her."

"Yeah, I think you're right," Daniel said, sitting down at the table and sipping at the tea Vala brought him. "The Ori claim to love their human creations. They claim that love is what drives them to share Enlightenment with them. Yet the Ori also command that evil be wiped out, that any who doesn't believe in them be converted or destroyed." Daniel took another sip. "I suppose our claim of loving her but also letting her go contradicts all she knows, all she's been 'programmed' to believe by the Ori."

Vala smiled. "Which means, we might be getting through to her, right?" She left the stove and wandered over to the bedroom door, peeking in at her sleeping little girl. "After all this, she might be ours once again," she said, her voice filled with as much hope as she dared express.

Daniel rose from the table and put his arms around Vala. "I hope so."

* * *

Night fell while they talked in the kitchen, but eventually they heard noises from the bedroom. Doors and drawers opening and closing. Daniel followed as Vala led the way to her old room. They saw Adria sitting up in the bed, her knees drawn up in front of her and a blanket wrapped about her. Then she lit a candle across the room, with her mind.

"Hello, Mother, Father." She was older again, appearing maybe 13 or 14 years old.

Daniel swallowed the lump in his throat. "Did you sleep well, Adria?"

"Yes. My head still hurts, but I am managing." She brought out a red and gold dress from the closet. "I don't fit these other clothes anymore. What do you think of this dress, Mother?"

Vala hoped the shock on her face wouldn't register, but she knew Adria could probably sense it anyway so she admitted it freely. "I don't know if I'm more surprised to find you grown again, or to find that I'm shocked." She walked into the room and sat down on the bed next to her daughter, ignoring the dress hovering near the closet door. "I suppose you find it ridiculous that your mother is always shocked to see you growing up."

Adria couldn't help a small smile curving her lips upward. "You really should be quite used to it by now."

"I really should," Vala smiled back, hoping to keep her daughter calm, as well as showing her as much love as she could. "But as to the dress, I think that one is still a bit too big for you. I think I may have an older one from when I was your age in the back." She got up from the bed to go look. "It was a pretty blue and green one…" The dress she was thinking of came floating out of the closet.

"This one, Mother?" Adria asked.

"Yes, darling, that's it exactly." Vala forced a smile, trying to hide her anxiety about Adria's powers.

"I'll go set the table for dinner and give you girls some privacy," Daniel announced from the doorway as Adria started to get up from the bed.

Vala held the dress up while her daughter took off the T-shirt. She'd already discarded the shortened pants and re-pinned the underwear.

"I think I like red better," Adria said while pondering the dress. "I don't know why, though. This is a pretty color too." She sighed, and Vala could sense the young girl's confusion even without any enhanced mental abilities.

Vala helped her dress then brought a brush over and combed through Adria's tangles. Halfway through, she thought again and handed the brush to Adria. "I shouldn't treat you like a child anymore, should I? Maybe we can do this together." Vala parted Adria's hair down the middle, setting one half over one shoulder and keeping the other half. "We could do a set of braids. I'll do this side and you can do that side, all right?"

Adria nodded her agreement, and Vala noticed the slight smile once more. The teen years. What a rotten age to have to go through, for anyone. If only she could protect her daughter from it.

"This, too, shall pass," Adria commented as she finished braiding her side of her hair.

"Hmm?" Vala asked.

"I'm sorry, Mother. I couldn't help it. You were thinking about my age, how this particular time for me would be difficult." Vala finished with her hair and Adria walked over to the mirror on the dresser. "I suppose it won't be long until I've grown out of this phase as well. We'll just have to wait it out." Then she shrugged her shoulders and walked out to the kitchen, Vala following.

"It smells…delicious," Adria said with real surprise in her voice.

"You doubted your parents could take care of you, darling," Vala teased.

"No, I…I just didn't expect…" She gave them both her perpetual confused look, but shook her head a moment later. They sat around the table and Adria recited a blessing over the meal. Both Daniel and Vala had used it before when they had been trapped in the Ori galaxy. They all recited "Hallowed are the Ori" at the end of the blessing, and just as before, Adria couldn't help keeping the confusion from her face.

"I don't think it's meant quite as a blessing when unbelievers say those words," she remarked, taking a bite of the baked vegetable pie in front of her.

"Yes, well," Daniel started, "we can't deny the Ori are powerful. And even if we don't believe they are gods, they did give you to us, and we are extremely and sincerely grateful for that."

Vala thought ironically to herself that Adria's face might get stuck in that confused squinted stare if she continued like this. But then she thought of an interesting question. "I wonder, Adria, why we were chosen as your parents. Why weren't you given to some other couple in the Ori galaxy?"

"You and Father are unique. Your genetic make-up was essential for my creation."

Adria looked up and undoubtedly noticed the confusion written on _their_ faces for a change, she may even have felt a little relieved that she wasn't the only one to suffer from such an affliction. Anyway, she decided to explain further. "Father, weren't you once ascended?"

Daniel swallowed the bite he had in his mouth and nodded. "How did you know?"

"The Ori were made aware of it when your matter stream entered our galaxy. Your genetic make-up was deemed beneficial to me. It would help that my mind could absorb and retain as much of the Ori's knowledge as possible."

"Well, what am I, then," Vala scoffed light-heartedly, "just an incubator?"

"Of course not, Mother." Adria's eyes and mood lightened with the teasing humor. "Your body had been host to a parasite. A terrible creature but a powerful one, nonetheless. Your mind, as well, was capable of retaining a great deal of knowledge. I know that you have since been freed from the parasite, but I suppose the fact that you haven't succumbed to the madness of the remnants of that overwhelming knowledge is proof of your mind's strength. It is inherent to your genetic make-up as well, and therefore of use to me. I would not be here today without either of you," she concluded with a warm smile for her parents, then went back to her dinner.

"Whatever the reason," Daniel began, "I still remain thankful that you are ours." He reached out and squeezed her hand.

Adria looked down at her father's hand, and she pushed back the squint that began to appear on her face. "I still want to leave. To at least find the followers of Origin in this galaxy," she amended, raising her head and looking a little more stern than usual.

"We can do that, sweetheart," Vala said. "Tomorrow morning, after a good night's sleep." She said cheerfully.

Adria looked down at her plate. "I think I'd like to leave now." She nodded, raising her head and adding strength to her voice. "The followers are in need of guidance. They need me."

"We said we would let you go, and we will," Daniel replied pleasantly, yet also holding her gaze firmly. "We only ask that you let us come with you. Let us make sure you are safe before you make us leave you alone."

To Adria's credit, she refused to look away from Daniel, refused to look down and submit once more to the confusion that must be boiling inside her. It was only a moment, though it felt like many minutes. Adria must have finally sensed Daniel's genuine honesty because the next moment she was calmly finishing every last bite from her plate.

"Well, I'm going to pack some provisions," Vala said, getting up from the table and clearing the plates. "I always get hungry while traveling."

Daniel laughed a little then. "She's right, you know," he said, "her appetite is enormous."

"It's a very healthy appetite, Daniel. Don't tease." She jabbed him in the side as he came up beside her and helped fill a sack with fruit and biscuits. Adria remained at the table, watching her parents interact with each other. Then all three of them left the house in the dead of night.

* * *

Daniel and Vala followed their daughter through the village to the stargate. She dialed an address with her mind. Both Daniel and Vala looked at each other, the address led to Chulak.

Once there, they discovered an Ori mothership had landed by the city. There were Ori fighters and Jaffa gliders still fighting in the air above the city. A number of ground troops were engaged in combat as well. Adria led them effortlessly past everyone to the ship. On board, she calmly walked toward the bridge.

"Orici!" the ship's prior exclaimed as he rose from the command chair. "Thank the Ori you have come to us unharmed." He was the same man who was magistrate in Ver Eger, the same prior who had inflicted a plague on the villagers of Vala's hideout world on P8X-412.

"I was with my parents, prior," Adria nodded to him. "I was in no danger whatsoever. But my place is with the followers of Origin, and I have come to lead you."

"Thank you, Orici. Your presence is necessary and deeply appreciated. There are many billions of unbelievers. Corrupt, evil individuals who refuse to accept Origin, who refuse to walk the Path of Enlightenment."

"Your faith does you credit, prior. You have served the Ori well. However, we should first minister to our flock of devout followers and be certain that none are in need of further guidance or instruction." Adria raised her chin, keeping any doubt from her voice. "Then we can concern ourselves with unbelievers."

"Orici," said the prior with obvious surprise. "That is not the will of the Ori as professed by the Doci."

"You question me, prior! You question my authority against that of the Doci. I am Orici, prior. I am the one sent to spread Origin to the stars. And I will spread it as I _and_ the Ori see fit."

The prior turned on both Daniel and Vala, as if noticing them for the first time. "Evil!" he cursed them. "You have corrupted her. You have abused her and taught her evil!"

"We've done nothing of the sort," Vala shouted, stepping in front of Daniel and standing between Adria and the prior. "We've loved and protected her."

"Lies," the prior sneered. "You will abandon her the instant she professes her true purpose—the extinction of all unbelievers. She will be anathema to you then and you will leave her to her fate."

Vala shook her head in disbelief, but Daniel stepped forward and spoke. "We would die before abandoning her. We _will_ love her _and_ protect her, and nothing you say or do, nothing _she_ says or does, will change that."

"Treacherous evil," the prior hissed. "These lies you speak will haunt you for the rest of your days. And they are lies, Orici," he spoke to Adria. "The humans of this galaxy are petty and selfish. They think only of themselves, only of their own worlds. They never seek to better themselves, they refuse to follow the Path."

"That is their choice," she spoke softly at first but then continued with strength, stepping around her parents and facing the prior with true conviction. "Everyone has the freedom to choose their own path without pressure or fear." She then looked back at her father who smiled brightly with great pride.

The next instant, the prior whisked a staff weapon from a guard in the corner of the room and shot directly at Adria, hissing a horrible curse. No one was quick enough to stop the prior, not even Adria, yet Daniel saw the movement and leapt at her in time to take the blast that was meant for his daughter.

"Father!" Adria screamed. "Why did you…" She vented all of her anger on the prior, throwing him across the bridge with her mind and choking the breath from his lungs.

"No, Adria," Vala commanded, hurrying to Daniel's side. "You might still be able to help your father like you helped me." She took off her jacket and pressed it into his side, hoping to stop the flow of blood.

Adria fought with her intense anger. What was the truth? Why was she here?

"Please, Adria," Vala begged. "He could die!"

"Restrain him," Adria ordered the guards as she released the prior and rushed over to her father. The wound was serious, blood was still pouring out everywhere. "Why did he do that?" she cried.

"I have no idea, sweetheart," Vala shifted her head to wipe her tears on her shoulder. "That prior _should_ have shot at either me or Daniel. I can't see what he would possibly gain by killing _you_." Vala kept crying over Daniel. The universe was seriously going to pay if Daniel died.

"I didn't mean the prior," Adria said as her hand passed over Daniel's wound, healing it completely. "I meant Father," she finished softly.

"Well, I would think that was obvious, darling," Vala said, relieved as she saw Daniel's brilliant blue eyes open. She grabbed both Daniel's hand and Adria's in each of her own, and smiled brightly. "We said we loved you, Adria. Didn't you believe us?"

"I…yes, but I didn't know…" her poor confused look was back. "I didn't understand what it meant." She let go of her mother's hand and stood up. She marched straight toward the prior, gripping his throat again with her mind. "Why? Why do you kill innocents? Why do you murder those who believe something else? Why do you claim it is for love, if it has _nothing_ to do with that concept at all?"

"Adria, stop!" Vala shouted. "This isn't you. Don't become like him, don't become the monster he is."

"But he tried to kill me. He almost killed Father!" Adria continued to choke the prior as she turned to face her mother. "He's led the Ori armies all over your galaxy murdering hundreds of thousands of innocents. He deserves to die."

"Yes, Adria, he did all those things. Except that you didn't die and neither did your father. This poor man was misled. All of the armies are misled. All lied to. They deserve sympathy and compassion." Vala reached out to lower Adria's outstretched arm. "He deserves a chance for atonement."

She dropped her arm and let the prior fall to his feet, gasping for breath. "Forgiveness is weakness," Adria brought her hands to her head, pressing tightly against her temples.

Daniel walked over to them. "No, Adria, forgiveness is also a part of love, probably the second hardest part."

She shook her head back and forth, refusing to look at anyone. "The Ori don't believe any of this. They claim to love all their creation, and they claim to offer Ascension to their followers. Yet they oppose anything that is different from them. They root out anyone who believes differently. They have no concept of sympathy, compassion, forgiveness, letting go. Do they _love_ at all?"

Daniel tipped Adria's chin in his direction. "Love has a great many meanings, but it mostly comes down to selflessness and self-sacrifice. Does that sound like something that the Ori do?"

Adria's eyes filled with tears as she looked at her father. "No," she whispered. "I think maybe…maybe all their claims are false." She closed her eyes and cried openly into her father's shoulder.

"Ssh, there now," he comforted her. He held his daughter in one arm and Vala in the other. "Remember, we can't fault them entirely." Both women turned their heads in his direction, identical looks of bewilderment on their faces. "Well, they did give you to us, sweetheart. I told you I'd always be thankful for that. For being given the opportunity to love like that."

Vala smiled also and nodded her agreement, but Adria still looked puzzled. "Love isn't quite enough though. We need to put things right if we can." She stood up then and wiped her tears away. "You all have witnessed this rather dramatic scene," she spoke to the handful of guards around the room. "I wish to return the armies of the Ori to our galaxy. I wish to let people _choose_ for themselves what to believe and to not force them to go against their beliefs. So what say you? Will you come with me?"

The guards looked from one to the other. None of them were commanders, they were lowly men, and their Orici was asking them to choose for themselves. One of them voiced his concern. "What if a man chose to steal from another," then he looked down at the prior, "or chose to kill a man he was quarreling with? Origin teaches swift retribution in every case." The guard cringed a little when meeting the Orici's eyes, but he continued nevertheless. "How would we keep a civilized society without rules to live by? Love, as you say, cannot solve all problems."

Adria nodded and thanked the man for speaking, then she turned and began pacing back forth, biting her lip and chewing on her thumb. Vala and Daniel exchanged knowing looks. The poor girl was definitely their daughter.

"Adria, dear," Vala began, "the man is right. Without strict laws, many will push their limits and find ways to get what they can through as little effort as possible. I'd just like to remind you, that I doubt everything was perfect before. There was still discontent even when the strict rules of Origin were the laws of the land."

"But there is always a happy medium between the extremes," Daniel finished. "Laws can be written with compassion in mind. Punishments can be devised with atonement and betterment as the goals. But it all has to begin with love, respect and freedom of choice and will."

Adria nodded her agreement, and turned back to the guards. "I suppose we all have a lot to learn from now on, I most of all perhaps. I ask again, what should we do?"

Each and every guard knelt down on one knee in front of her. "We follow the Orici, hers to command."

Adria laughed warmly. "Well, not exactly what I expected, but it's a start. Arise. You shall be my trusted council. We'll need to figure out how to collect the priors first."

"We may be able to help with that," Daniel said, taking Adria's hand and squeezing it tightly with pride.


	23. Chapter 23

There was a great deal left to do, but Adria admitted to her parents that the events of the day were taking their toll. She expended a little energy and rendered the prior unconscious, then instructed the guards to detain him, to keep his staff from him, and to have a dozen men on watch at all times. If he woke, she could be summoned to put him out once more.

She also ordered all of the soldiers and pilots back to the ship. She had little strength to confront them now, but she ordered that they return to recuperate for a few hours and instructed that she'd address the men later.

After that, she led the way to a chamber on the ship built specially for the Orici. There was a wide bed with curtained canopies and torches in the corner. She lowered the flames with her mind, then opened a drawer to find an over-sized nightgown. Daniel stood in the doorway, while Adria changed behind a screen against the wall.

"Do you suspect another growth spurt, Adria?" Vala asked.

"Yes, Mother," she replied. "I think that's why I'm so tired." She finished changing then came out from behind the screen and Vala helped tuck her into bed. "I just need a couple hours rest, I think." She yawned. "Perhaps this will be the last stage of my accelerated growth."

"Would it be all right, darling, if, we," she looked hopefully at Daniel, "slept here next to you?"

Adria nodded through another yawn. "Yes, Mother, I think I'd like that." She scooted toward the middle of the bed, and Vala climbed in next to her, propping herself up with pillows so that she was half sitting up. She held out her arms and Adria lay down on her chest, wrapping her arms around Vala.

Daniel went and sat on top of the covers on the other side of them, propped up high on the pillows like Vala was, and he rubbed his hand up and down Adria's arm. Just before falling asleep, she reached up and held Daniel's hand. "Love you, Father, Mother."

Both Vala and Daniel had to wipe tears from their eyes.

* * *

As she'd predicted, Adria woke up a few hours later, practically a full-grown woman of about 20 to 25 years. She was buried in the covers up to her neck and Vala was softly stroking her hair.

"I tried staying awake long enough to see it happen," Vala admitted to Daniel, "but giving birth to her…how long ago was it now?"

"Not even a day?" Daniel shrugged, having lost all sense of time.

"Well, I was pretty tuckered out as well." She looked down at Adria who was starting to stir from sleep. "I just wonder how it happens. Is it gradual or does it happen in an instant?"

"I don't know. I missed it too." Daniel sat up and stretched, dangling his legs over the side of the bed. "That staff blast hurt like the devil."

"Who's a devil, Father?" Adria groggily asked.

"Nobody, sweetheart, just an inefficient expression meaning 'a lot.'"

"Oh, okay." She yawned deeply.

They washed up, dressed and ate, and talked about different plans to deal with the Ori armies. Daniel told Adria about the anti-prior device that could neutralize a prior's enhanced abilities. She agreed that a device like that could assist her in gathering and subduing the priors instead of her constantly having to battle them with her own powers. She worried though that the device would also render her powers ineffective. Vala assured her that, even if that were the case, she had her trusted guards. Adria had done a great deal to earn their loyalty.

Next, they went to the bridge and Adria made a ship-wide announcement that they were leaving Chulak behind. The warriors on the planet had fought bravely, and it was not their place to impose their beliefs on such a proud and noble civilization. Daniel suspected the bridge would soon be overrun by the fanatical soldiers, but no one arrived. Adria must have suspected it as well, for she turned to her four guards with a questioning glance. They admitted that they had started rumors that the Orici was on board with direct instructions from the Ori themselves. They had whispered that they didn't know what the orders would be, but obviously her authority must be second to none, not even the Doci and the priors.

Adria's look of shock and awe was only surpassed by her grateful smile. She praised the men for their cleverness and thanked them for their continued loyalty. She really couldn't have asked for worthier men for her council.

She sat down in the chair and launched the ship, then looked to her parents for advice about where to go. They couldn't ring down to the SGC from Earth's orbit, so they'd have to gate there. Vala studied the ship's star charts and came up with an uninhabited world with a stargate. When they arrived, they flew a smaller ship to the surface and contacted the SGC.

Landry ordered SG-1 to meet them with the requested anti-prior device. As soon as they stepped foot on the planet, Adria staggered from a feeling of light-headedness. She still had the ability to read minds and she immediately felt her parents' worry for her. She assured them she was fine, that the device was working as it should. It could indeed be used to subdue the priors and force them to listen to her point of view. Give her a chance to re-teach them Origin.

And her plan worked too. The crusaders were extremely open to ideas about free will, freedom of choice, and love and respect above all else. Some of the commanders who'd become addicted to the power they'd had over the other men under the priors' rule openly questioned her, but every time, the common soldiers defended her and the ideals she was preaching. In the end, both Daniel and Vala knew that Adria could take care of herself and her people.

Their parting was heartbreaking, but Adria convinced her parents that she'd be fine and that she'd contact them frequently.

* * *

As the days passed, Vala could barely comprehend that less than a week had gone by from the time Denya had come to tell them of the crusade's launch. In that time, she'd given birth to the Orici, nearly lost her dear friends to a battle at the second – or was it the third – supergate, followed her daughter to meet the Ori soldiers and watched her end the crusade with as few lives lost as possible.

She'd even been offered an official position at Stargate Command, fully backed by the United States government as well as the IOA. That event she really couldn't believe until General Landry showed her the letters of recommendation from General O'Neill, Sam, Mitchell, and Teal'c. Even Carolyn and Bill Lee spoke up in her favor. Carolyn had cited her courage in facing a seriously unlikely pregnancy— she had asked for a sample of Adria's blood and been given it willingly, and was then able to confirm her genetic make-up as a combination of Vala's and Daniel's DNA and some other third component, confirming the Ori's hand in Adria's making. Bill had acknowledged Vala's tenacity in helping to perfect the technology to communicate at inter-galactic distances. And while his words had warmed her, she was even happier that Denya had once again contacted the SGC and expressed her thanks for Vala's warning, asking that Vala be assured that she, Panos, Ber, Kira and the rest of their family were all well.

All this was fine and dandy of course, but there was one recommendation that she didn't see, and before she accepted the position she needed to have a talk with the stubborn man.

As she plodded along the corridors toward Daniel's office, she tried to keep her temper in check. Maybe he didn't know the offer of a position was in the wind. When she didn't find him in his office, she blew out a breath in frustration. He was supposed to love her, why wouldn't he recommend that she be allowed to work with him in his oh-so-laudable SGC?

She found him in his quarters, duffle bags spread out over the bed, dresser drawers open, clothes, books and items strewn over every surface. _He was leaving!_ _The nerve of the man!_ She knew the _Daedalus_ had recently returned from the Pegasus galaxy and it usually took a couple days for it to resupply and head back. But that still didn't mean _he_ had to go!

She stormed straight over to him, tapped him on the shoulder and punched him in the face before he even had a chance to say hello.

"Vala! Seriously, this isn't what it looks like," he said, defending himself from her left fist.

"Oh no? It looks like you're packing!" She swung at him but he ducked out of the way in time. "I can't believe you! This obsession with Atlantis is ridiculous." She swung again and Daniel blocked it.

"Hold on, Vala, get a grip!"

"Get a grip? You get a grip!" She feinted a jab at his face then punched him in the gut. He got a hold of her wrists then and she tried to twist them out of his hands. "Adria is _literally_ not even a week old and you're gonna go off and leave us." She cursed and kicked unsuccessfully at his shins. "You know she can't go back to the Ori galaxy without facing the Ori themselves. She still needs our help, and not just you and me. We may have to find that anti-ascended weapon thingy to help her." She grunted and twisted as he toppled her onto the bed beneath him around the scattered piles of clothes.

"Whatever you do, Vala, do not knee me or there is NOT going to be a happy ending to this story!"

She kept struggling for a while as Daniel pinned her legs in place with his and pressed his entire body down on her, essentially keeping her breathing shallow enough that she felt weak in only a few minutes.

"Fine! Explain yourself if you can." He let go of her arms and instead of slapping him, she crossed them over her chest.

Daniel lifted his weight off her slightly as he spoke. "I'm _sorting_ through my clothes and things to see what will be useful to us if we leave the SGC to help Adria."

Vala looked up at him in wide-eyed shock. " _Not_ packing for Atlantis?"

Daniel shook his head with a laugh and sat straighter on top of her, keeping his weight firmly on his knees. " _Not_ packing for Atlantis."

"Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?" She sat up then and jabbed him playfully in the shoulder.

"I don't know," he smirked back at her, "guess I was in the mood for a fight. It's nice being able to win one every once in a while." She shoved him a little harder after that, but he anticipated it and rocked them back down to the surface of the bed.

"I haven't been able to spar for months, that's the _only_ reason you won this round," she said softly, brushing her fingers against the bruise blossoming on his cheek. "I feel so foolish."

"Don't worry about it," he said, leaning down to kiss her nose, "I'll blame it on raging hormones."

"Oh, yes, that's a good one," she complimented his reasoning, leaning up to kiss his bruised cheek, then brushing her lips against his gently. She was content and comfortable as they started necking, but something was niggling in the back of her mind…some reason for her coming to see him. _Oh._

"Daniel," she whispered, trying to think of a way to bring up her new employment opportunity.

"Yes, Vala," he murmured back to her, trailing kisses along her jaw, stopping to nibble on her earlobe.

"Uh," the nibbling was so distracting, but she still wanted to talk to him, "why do we have to leave in order to help Adria? Doesn't the SGC have more than sufficient resources?"

"Yep, everything I need is here, but I'm sure they'll let me come and go if I need to." He stopped kissing her as he realized the seriousness of her question. "Most importantly, I want you to have the freedom to decide where to live. I don't want you to resent me for keeping you here if you'd be happier elsewhere. Honestly, I wasn't planning on us leaving without discussing it with you. I was just going through all my stuff."

Vala considered her next words carefully. "Couldn't you put in a good word for me, maybe get me on to SG-1 or some other team?"

Daniel squinted at her, confused. "Is that what you want? 'Cause I'd do it in a heartbeat but I figured you'd want to earn the position on your own merits, of which you have plenty. You're more than qualified for a position in the Stargate Program. Every time I walk by Landry's office I have to tell myself to keep my mouth shut. Seriously, I thought you'd hate me if you thought the only reason everyone wanted you here was because _I'd_ asked them to let you stay."

Just then she brought his head down to hers in their most passionate kiss yet. She'd had no idea how much he truly understood her until that moment. She tugged his black t-shirt up and it bunched under his arms until he raised them to help her take the shirt off.

"I guess I did the right thing, then, huh?" She answered him with another firm liplock, her hands rubbing up and down his back.

She raised her hips in an attempt to flip. "On your back, Daniel," she instructed. He rolled them and when she sat there on top of him she pulled her shirt off and threw it over her shoulder. "I can't believe what you've done for me. I don't deserve someone so wholly and wonderfully selfless." She leaned down to kiss him again, sending her hands to work on the buckle of his pants. He quieted her frantic hands and brought her body down across his, letting their skin touch from chest to stomach.

"I beg to differ," he breathed as his own fingers went to work on the bra clasps behind her back. "Time and again, you've proven to me that your courage and selflessness is without bounds. I don't think I deserve someone with such strength of heart. But you also combine that strength with humor and fun." He smiled up at her as he finally released her breasts. "You lift my spirits whenever you walk into the room." He brushed the hair from her face and held it back for her. "I can't imagine my life without you now. I meant what I said before, I'm yours, now and forever."

Vala nodded her head that she understood, and that she felt the same. The two of them were one now. There was no going on without the other. They teased and played with each other, rolling around the bed amidst all of Daniel's clothes.

When they were naked and spent, sweaty and panting underneath the covers, Vala laughed and said they'd have a fair bit of cleaning up to do later.

"Doesn't matter," Daniel said between deep breaths. "We'll just stuff everything back in the closet. I probably don't have enough leather for wherever you take us anyway."

"While I do agree that there should be more leather in your wardrobe, darling," Vala began, "you probably have plenty for where we're going to live."

"Hmm?"

"I've been offered a position at the SGC," she said, beaming at him. "I think I'd like to stay here with you, if that's all right?"

Daniel's response was another heartwarming, breathtaking kiss, and Vala's heart felt light and full at the same time. They'd found each other, they'd survived the year together. They'd grown together and made room for each other in their lives—they were going to make a life together. She finally felt worthy of someone's love and felt pure joy and happiness in giving her love wholeheartedly in return. She truly was the most fortunate woman in the universe.

**THE END**


End file.
